A new nationwide survey from the Association of Black Cardiologists reveals stark gaps in heart health knowledge that fall heavily on Black and Latino communities. Awareness of basic cardiovascular risk factors remains low across the country, but the disparities are most pronounced among groups already facing higher rates of heart disease.
Only about 36% of all respondents knew their own cholesterol levels. That number fell to 30% among Latino respondents and just 29% among Black respondents, despite both groups experiencing higher burdens of high blood pressure, diabetes, and other cardiovascular risks. The survey also found that roughly 40% of adults did not know the difference between HDL and LDL cholesterol. In the South, the figure climbed to 45%.
Access to care emerged as another dividing line. One in four adults reported traveling 10 to 20 miles to see a cardiologist, with the highest rates in Louisiana, Arkansas, Georgia, and Mississippi—states with large Black and Latino populations and longstanding shortages of specialty care. Nearly 22% of adults said they had tried but failed to secure a cardiology appointment.
Screening gaps further widen the divide. Nearly one in five Black and Latino adults reported never having received a cardiovascular screening, compared with 15% of adults overall. Anthony Fletcher, MD, president of the Association of Black Cardiologists, warned that when communities lack basic tools to understand their heart health, “it’s not just a missed opportunity—it’s a public health crisis.”
See: “Nationwide Survey Reveals Gaps in Heart Health Awareness” (November 14, 2025)
