title: Cardiovascular disease prevention and care in Latino and Hispanic subjects.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the scope, impact, and health care limitations relative to cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the Latino-Hispanic population.
  
  
  METHODS
  We reviewed MEDLINE and PubMed for studies published from January 1995 to June 2005 using a combination of search terms (epidemiology, Hispanic, CVD) and chose articles for review on the basis of direct informational relevance to the current status of preventive treatment and barriers to health care for CVD among the Latino-Hispanic community. Additional information was gathered through a general Internet search by using Google with the aforementioned search terms and a review of the US Bureau of the Census and governmental statistics related to these terms found through governmental Web sites.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For proactive reduction of rates of CVD among the Latino-Hispanic population in the United States, preventive interventions should be targeted. Several barriers exist to providing effective preventive care to the Latino-Hispanic community. Medical research involving the Latino-Hispanic population is sparse, many Latino and Hispanic subjects do not have health insurance or a regular source of health care, and poor English-language ability and low education and literacy levels limit awareness and inhibit communications between Latino and Hispanic persons and the health care system.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The prevalence and growth of CVD in the US Latino-Hispanic community provide a clear warning that the public health problem presented by CVD in the Latino-Hispanic population is already substantial and will become much more severe in the coming decades. Actions to manage and minimize this problem are urgently needed.
authors.affiliation: University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas, Texas, USA.
authors.forename: Jaime A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Davidson
authors.forename: Pedro R
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Moreno
authors.forename: Juan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Badimon
authors.forename: Angel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lopez-Candales
authors.forename: Aida L
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Maisonet Giachello
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ovalle
authors.forename: Carlos Jose
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Rodriguez
authors.forename: Robert S
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Rosenson
authors.forename: Helena W
authors.initials: HW
authors.lastname: Rodbard
authors.forename: William B
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Kannel
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006630:Hispanic or Latino / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D015995:Prevalence; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology