Heart Health Is Community Health

In many Black and Afro‑Latinx/e families, health is a shared responsibility. We cook together, celebrate together, carry stress together, and care for one another across generations. That’s why heart health isn’t just an individual issue—it’s a community one.

Cardiovascular disease continues to affect Black and Afro‑Latinx communities at higher rates, not because of biology, but because of long‑standing inequities: limited access to care, food deserts, chronic stress, environmental exposures, and experiences of bias within the healthcare system. Naming these realities is part of honoring the truth. They are systemic problems—not personal failures.

Knowing Your Numbers Is Power

Understanding your key heart‑health numbers can help you make informed choices:

• Blood pressure

• Cholesterol

• Blood sugar (A1c)

• Body weight trends (not as a judgment, but as one piece of information)

These numbers don’t define you—they guide you. They help you notice changes early and advocate for yourself in healthcare spaces that haven’t always been built with your community in mind.

Adapting While Keeping Culture at the Center

Healthy living does not mean abandoning cultural foods, traditions, or identity. It means adapting in ways that honor where you come from:

• Keeping the flavors you love while adjusting salt or oil

• Adding more vegetables to dishes already rooted in tradition

• Finding movement that feels joyful—dance, walking with family, community events

• Using herbs, spices, and cooking methods passed down through generations

Culture is not the problem. Culture is the strength.

Equity Is Prevention

True prevention means more than telling people to “eat better” or “exercise.” It means acknowledging the barriers many communities face:

• Limited access to affordable fresh foods

• Fewer safe places to exercise

• Work schedules that leave little time for rest

• Experiences of discrimination that increase chronic stress

• Difficulty accessing consistent, trustworthy healthcare

When we talk about heart health, we must talk about justice. Equity is prevention.

Heart Health: Practical, Accessible Steps You Can Take

These are educational suggestions—not medical advice—and can help you start where you are:

• Check your blood pressure regularly at home or at community locations

• Learn your numbers and keep them written down

• Bring questions to your appointments—your voice matters

• Choose small, sustainable changes rather than drastic ones

• Lean on family and community for support

• Seek care from clinicians who respect your culture, language, and lived experience

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Libélula Is Here to Help

At Libélula, we believe that culturally grounded primary care is essential to heart health. We honor your traditions, your story, and your community. Our goal is to walk with you—not lecture you—so you feel supported, respected, and empowered to care for your heart in ways that fit your life.

References

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heart Disease Facts. CDC. Updated 2024. Accessed February 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm (cdc.gov)

2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. High Blood Pressure in Black Americans. CDC. Updated 2024. Accessed February 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/bloodpressure/black-americans.htm (cdc.gov)

3. Carnethon MR, Pu J, Howard G, et al. Cardiovascular health in African Americans: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2017;136(21):e393‑e423.

4. Rodriguez CJ, Allison M, Daviglus ML, et al. Status of cardiovascular disease and stroke in Hispanics/Latinos in the United States. Circulation. 2014;130(7):593‑625.

5. American Heart Association. Know Your Numbers for Better Heart Health. AHA. Updated 2024. Accessed February 2026. https://www.heart.org

6. Williams DR, Mohammed SA. Racism and health I: pathways and scientific evidence. Am Behav Sci. 2013;57(8):1152‑1173.

7. National Institutes of Health. Social Determinants of Health. NIH. Updated 2024. Accessed February 2026. https://www.nih.gov

8. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Health Equity: Promoting Fair Access to Health. CDC. Updated 2024. Accessed February 2026. https://www.cdc.gov/healthequity (cdc.gov)

9. American Heart Association. Life’s Essential 8: Key Measures for Cardiovascular Health. AHA. Updated 2024. Accessed February 2026. https://www.heart.org

10. Bailey ZD, Feldman JM, Bassett MT. How structural racism works—racist policies as a root cause of U.S. racial health inequities. N Engl J Med. 2021;384(8):768‑773.

11. Commodore‑Mensah Y, Samuel LJ, Dennison Himmelfarb CR, Agyemang C. Hypertension and cardiovascular disease among African immigrants in the United States: a review. J Am Heart Assoc. 2016;5(1):e002488.

12. Velasco‑Mondragón HE, Jiménez A, Palladino‑Davis AG, Davis D, Escamilla‑Cejudo JA. Hispanic health in the USA: a scoping review of the literature. Public Health Rev. 2016;37:31.

13. American Public Health Association. Racism as a Public Health Crisis. APHA. Updated 2024. Accessed February 2026. https://www.apha.org

14. Office of Minority Health. Heart Disease and African Americans. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Updated 2024. Accessed February 2026. https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov (minorityhealth.hhs.gov)

15. Office of Minority Health. Hispanic/Latino Heart Disease and Stroke. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Updated 2024. Accessed February 2026. https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov (minorityhealth.hhs.gov)