A new national study shows that heart failure hospitalization occurs years earlier for non-Hispanic Black, Hispanic, and Asian adults compared with their White counterparts, highlighting deep disparities in cardiovascular health.
Researchers analyzed more than 42,000 patients across the United States and found striking differences. At the time of first hospitalization, non-Hispanic Black patients were admitted at an average age of just 60.1 years. Hispanic patients were hospitalized at 65.4 years, and Asian patients at 70.6 years. In contrast, White patients’ first hospitalizations occurred at an average age of 73.6 years.
Lead researcher Xiaoning Huang, PhD, of Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, explained that “social risk factors, including insurance status and area-level educational and economic opportunities, played a major role.” These social determinants, she noted, often restrict access to quality health care and influence health trajectories long before patients develop heart disease.
The study found non-Hispanic Black adults were hospitalized 12.5 years earlier than White adults, the largest gap of any group. Hispanic patients faced hospitalizations 7.4 years earlier, and Asian patients 1.2 years earlier. While clinical factors such as hypertension, diabetes, and obesity remain important, the data emphasize that structural barriers and economic inequities fuel the early onset of serious cardiovascular illness.
Researchers argue that addressing these disparities will require more than medical intervention. Policies that expand access to preventive care, improve education, and reduce economic inequality could help slow the progression of heart failure in communities most at risk.
See: “First Heart Failure Hospitalization Occurs Earlier for Some Racial, Ethnic Groups” (September 10, 2025)
