Analysis highlights cardiovascular health improvements in American Indian adolescents, suggesting community engagement is crucial.
American Indian (AI) people have among the highest rates of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the United States. Fortunately, since its inception in 1988, the SHS (Strong Heart Study) and its expansion, the SHFS (Strong Heart Family Study), have provided the most robust data on AI cardiovascular health in adults and children. This article aims to highlight key SHFS publications related to AI and adolescent cardiovascular health, identify ongoing investigations, and promote community‐based participatory research and advocacy efforts addressing the needs of AI people. The success of SHFS is rooted in community‐based participatory research and presents a model for academic, clinical, tribal, and community partnerships. Furthermore, the findings of SHFS highlight the importance of early identification of cardiovascular disease risk factors and the unique social drivers of health that affect this population, to promote health equity in AI communities.
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Burns et al. (2025) studied this question.
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