Impact of social determinants of health on cardiovascular disease prevention

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Social determinants of health (SDOH) describe conditions in one's environment that have an impact on health, quality-of-life, outcomes, and risks. These include income, education, employment, culture, language, healthcare access, social support, race, ethnicity, structural racism, discrimination, social support, neighborhood characteristics, and others. SDOH manifest as persistent inequalities in cardiovascular risk factors and disease, and, therefore, contribute to cardiovascular disease (CVD)-related morbidity and mortality. This article reviews how SDOH affect CVD risk and the role they play in CVD prevention. RECENT FINDINGS: The 2019 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association (AHA) guideline on the primary prevention of CVD recommends that clinicians evaluate SDOH on an individual basis to inform treatment decisions for CVD prevention efforts. Recent evidence shows that low socioeconomic status, adverse childhood experiences, less social support, reduced health literacy, and limited healthcare access are associated with higher CVD risk and poorer health outcomes. A 2020 AHA statement emphasized the role of structural racism as a fundamental driver of health disparities. The AHA 2030 Impact Goals state a desire to achieve health equity by identifying and removing barriers to healthcare access and quality. SUMMARY: SDOH affect CVD prevention efforts. The SDOH that affect cardiovascular risk factors, diseases, and outcomes are complex and intersect. Addressing them can be challenging and will require a multilevel and multidisciplinary approach, involving public health measures, changes in health systems, team-based care, and dismantling of structural racism. More studies are needed to investigate the effect of interventions that improve SDOH and prevent CVD or lower CVD risk.