Experiencing unfair treatment is associated with incident cardiovascular disease among older Black adults

Experiencing discrimination may be a risk factor for cardiovascular disease (CVD), which disproportionately impacts Black adults in the United States. With the few prospective, time-varying investigations, evidence of everyday discrimination impacting incident CVD is sparse, especially among older Black adults. This study examined the association between everyday discrimination and incident CVD across a 12-year period using a nationally representative population of older Black adults from the Health and Retirement Study. Weighted Cox proportional hazards regression estimated the association between everyday discrimination (measured on a continuous scale) and incident CVD. Supplemental analyses examined the association between everyday discrimination and incident CVD among those who experienced racial versus nonracial discrimination. Covariates included sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors, and CVD risk factors. At baseline, participants (N = 988) were 65 years old on average and 57.3% were female. During the 12-year period, 16.3% of participants developed CVD. Each increase in everyday discrimination was associated with a higher incidence of CVD in fully adjusted models (adjusted hazard ratio, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.03-1.59). Older Black adults who experience frequent everyday discrimination may be at higher risk of developing CVD. Clinical and nonclinical interventions assessing and addressing experiences of discrimination may help in CVD prevention efforts among Black adults.