In 2015, the American Psychological Association (APA) published an insightful report about the health impact of discrimination. According to the report, groups facing discrimination in the United States experience higher stress levels and face greater health challenges. Americans who identify as LGBTQ are no exception. Recent research has found a concerning link between poor heart health and LGBTQ adults.
Lesbian, gay, and bisexual adults have a higher risk of having markers of poor heart health, such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol, according to a 2018 study from Circulation journal. High blood pressure increases the risk of many conditions, including heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and vascular dementia. But that’s not all: Some LGBTQ adults worry about discrimination by their doctors. This may lead them to avoid their crucial annual visits or delay seeing a doctor despite problematic symptoms.
References
Alzahrani, T., et al. (2019). Cardiovascular disease risk factors and myocardial infarction in the transgender population. Circulation.
American Heart Association. (2018). More attention should be paid to heart health of lesbian, gay and bisexual adults, study suggests.
American Heart Association. (2019). Transgender men and women may have higher heart attack risk.
American Psychological Association. (2015). 2015 Stress in America: the impact of discrimination.
Brenner, B. (2016). Understanding anxiety and depression for LGBTQ people. Anxiety and Depression Association of America.
Saxena, A., et al. (2018). Abstract P001: LGB health disparities: examining the status of cardiovascular health from the 2011-2012 NHANES survey. Circulation.
Why trust our experts?
