Cardiovascular Health in Black and Latino Adults With Type 2 Diabetes.
Margaret M McCarthy, Inés Del Giudice, Agnes Wong and 3 others
PMID 38498851WHAT IT FOUND
Few Black and Latino adults aged 18 to 40 with diabetes reached ideal levels on heart-health measures.
BMI ideal was 8%, diet 18%, physical activity 45%, blood pressure 42%. Interviews described family support, pandemic disruption, self-education, depression, and stress.
Key findings
01Only 8% had ideal BMI and 18% had ideal diet; less than half had ideal blood pressure (42%) or physical activity (45%).
02Interviews with 30 participants produced themes about family support, pandemic effects, self-education, and depression or stress.
03During the pandemic, 42% had household job loss, 37% had difficulty paying basics, 12% had trouble paying medications, and 10% lost health insurance.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study included 60 participants aged 18 to 40, so it may not apply to older Black or Latino adults with diabetes or adults from other backgrounds. Participants were recruited from NYU Langone Health locations, so results may not apply elsewhere. The study measured participants at a single time point; they were not followed to see whether health changed after interviews. The study was done during the COVID-19 pandemic, when routines may have been disrupted. Diet, smoking, sleep, and some pandemic effects were self-reported, and sleep was measured with a single question about the previous night. Fitbit step counts were usable for 58 participants because two had more than 2 days of missing week 2 data; four weekly totals were excluded as outliers. Qualitative interviews were done with 30 participants, selected for maximum variation, not all 60. The overall cardiovascular health score used the original Life's Simple 7 range of 0 to 14; sleep was not included in that score.
Declared interests
The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The article is marked as NIH extramural research support.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the low cardiovascular health scores or interview themes as evidence that a specific intervention works. The study measured patients at a single time point and did not test treatment.