A recent study published in JAMA Network Open has shed light on an important yet often overlooked aspect of health disparities in the United States. The research reveals significant differences in heart failure rates among various Asian American subpopulations, challenging the notion that Asian Americans can be treated as a monolithic group in healthcare.
The study, led by researchers at George Washington University, utilized data from the Cerner Real-World Database to analyze heart failure incidence and prevalence among different Asian American ethnic subgroups. Dr. Adrienne Ngar-Yee Poon, one of the study authors, emphasized the importance of this research, stating, “Cardiovascular disease is the second leading cause of death among Asian Americans.”
Perhaps most striking was the finding that the disparities in heart failure rates between Southeast Asian and East Asian patients were even larger than those observed between Black and white patients. Southeast Asian patients showed heart failure rates similar to those of Black patients, highlighting the need for targeted healthcare approaches.
Dr. Qing Zeng-Treitler, another study author, pointed out the implications of these findings for artificial intelligence in healthcare. She warned that without nuanced data, AI systems might incorrectly assess heart failure risks for certain subgroups, potentially leading to suboptimal treatment decisions.
The researchers call for several policy changes to address these disparities. These include standardizing race and ethnicity data collection in electronic health records, increasing community engagement in Asian American health equity research, and expanding funding for research into Asian American health issues.
This study underscores the critical importance of disaggregating health data for Asian Americans to reveal hidden disparities and improve healthcare outcomes for all subgroups within this diverse population.
See “Disparities in Heart Failure Rates Found Among Asian American Subpopulations” (October 3, 2024)
