Health Disparities

Health disparities have the largest impact on the access, quality of care and outcomes overall in many patient populations defined by factors such as race, ethnicity, gender, education level, income, disability, geographic location. Many other factors also play a role, including if a patient is in a rural of urban location, distances to hospitals, pharmacies and clinics. These factors of inequitable access or healthcare are often directly related to the historical and ongoing unequal distribution of social, political, economic, and environmental resources. This page includes content defining health disparities and efforts to address them.

IVL delivers significant value for women, real-world data confirm
Researchers tracked data from nearly 400 women with complex CAD who underwent treatment with Shockwave Medical's intravascular lithotripsy technology prior to PCI.
Rates of obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes keep climbing in US
As time goes on, the gaps between the healthiest states and the least healthy states are only getting wider and wider. "Our findings highlight the urgent need for targeted strategies to reduce state-based inequities in cardiometabolic risk factors,” researchers wrote.
Cardiology, radiology professionals unite to explore the challenges of diagnosing CAD in women
Coronary artery disease is both underdiagnosed and undertreated in women, and they often receive less guideline-recommended care than men. Why do these disparities persist? And what can today’s healthcare providers do to bring about change?
Many older heart failure patients are alone and vulnerable—what can be done to help?
Older heart failure patients with no immediate family are especially vulnerable. Additional interventions may be necessary to reach these patients and provide the best care possible.
Food insecurity increases risk of poor heart health in young adults
Food insecurity—lacking consistent access to the food needed to live an “active, healthy lifestyle”—impacts up to one in eight Americans each year.

The Shockwave Medical M5+ new peripheral intravascular lithotripsy (IVL) catheter cuts procedures times in half and was showed for the first time at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) 2022 meeting. It is designed to break up calcium in heavily calcified arteries to avoid the need for vessel trauma caused by high pressure angioplasty.

IVL delivers significant value for women, real-world data confirm

Researchers tracked data from nearly 400 women with complex CAD who underwent treatment with Shockwave Medical's intravascular lithotripsy technology prior to PCI.

Rates of obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes keep climbing in US

As time goes on, the gaps between the healthiest states and the least healthy states are only getting wider and wider. "Our findings highlight the urgent need for targeted strategies to reduce state-based inequities in cardiometabolic risk factors,” researchers wrote.

Cardiology, radiology professionals unite to explore the challenges of diagnosing CAD in women

Coronary artery disease is both underdiagnosed and undertreated in women, and they often receive less guideline-recommended care than men. Why do these disparities persist? And what can today’s healthcare providers do to bring about change?

Many older heart failure patients are alone and vulnerable—what can be done to help?

Older heart failure patients with no immediate family are especially vulnerable. Additional interventions may be necessary to reach these patients and provide the best care possible.

Food insecurity increases risk of poor heart health in young adults

Food insecurity—lacking consistent access to the food needed to live an “active, healthy lifestyle”—impacts up to one in eight Americans each year.

Fewer heart failure patients are dying from cardiac arrest—but disparities persist

CDC data shows that mortality from heart failure-related cardiac arrest has decreased significantly in the last 25 years. However, researchers noted, care teams still have considerable work to do.

Post-stroke follow-up care considerably worse for women than men

Female stroke survivors are less likely to receive a cardiology referral or undergo cardiac monitoring than their male counterparts.

healthcare value value-based care money dollar

Cardiologist-founded startup raises $2M in the name of women’s heart health

Systole Health is focused on providing personalized healthcare to women with heart disease. “As a cardiologist, I have witnessed firsthand the struggles women face in managing their heart health," the company's co-founder said.

Around the web

Health Exec

Tom Price: Medical residency slots need to expand to combat physician shortages

Tom Price, MD, former secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), said one way to address the growing shortage of physicians is to expand medical resident positions, but these are tied to Medicare spending so alternative means may be needed.

Health Imaging

Tariffs will have a significant impact on the nuclear imaging supply chain in the US

"Domestic radiopharmaceutical suppliers, who receive isotopes from abroad, would be impacted by price changes and uncertainty caused by additional tariffs,” SNMMI President Cathy Cutler, PhD, wrote in a letter to the U.S. Department of Commerce this week.