Heart Health Report aims to enhance research and boost care for LGBTQ patients

Thursday, October 8, 2020 (American Heart Association News)-LGBTQ adults face a clear threat to heart health-and healthcare providers need more to identify and stop those risks You can do that, and a new report aimed at showing the way, says better research and care.

A report issued Thursday as a scientific statement from the American Heart Association summarizes what scientists have learned about LGBTQ health, highlights known issues, and identifies gaps, he wrote. Said Dr. Nicole Rosendale, a member of the committee.

Rosendale, an assistant professor of neurology at the University of California, aims to act as a “one-stop shop” for the group’s heart health findings, which were “almost invisible in health care research and research.” I am. San Francisco.

In the survey results:

• Bisexual men are twice as likely to have high blood pressure as heterosexual men.
• LGBTQ adults, especially women, are more likely to use tobacco than other adults.
• Gay men are as or less obese than heterosexual men, but lesbian and bisexual women tend to be more obese than heterosexual women.
• Short sleep times, which are risk factors for high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease, are more common among lesbian and bisexual women than heterosexual women.

A scientific statement emphasizes that stress is considered to be an important factor in the health differences of LGBTQ people, said the chairman of the committee who wrote the report published in the AHA Journal Circulation. One Billy A. Caceres said. Some of those stressors have higher poverty rates, especially in rural areas.

“They are experiencing discrimination and fear of coming out to their families and health care providers,” said Caseres, an assistant professor of nursing at Columbia University in New York. “And these That, in addition to everything else that is stressful in life, will probably increase the risk of poor health, including cardiovascular disease. “

Many LGBTQ people in the United States were not legally protected from work discrimination until the June US Supreme Court ruling.

“At the level of interpersonal relationships, discrimination is called by name, harassed by words, or someone treats you differently because of actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. You can have a daily experience, “said Caseres.

This includes clinics. Many LGBTQ people report experiencing some form of discrimination, including the use of abusive language and denial of service.

According to Caceres, stress generally has a negative effect on the heart and can lead to unhealthy coping behaviors such as smoking and overeating, which can be damaging over time. “After being discriminated against, you don’t suddenly develop high blood pressure and heart disease. These are long-term, chronic stressors who are repeatedly exposed as LGBTQ people.”

However, the exact relationship between stress and heart health is intertwined. Therefore, more research is needed, especially in areas where sexual orientation and race overlap. And in order to carry out such studies, healthcare professionals need to ask patients questions related to sexual orientation and gender identity.

Many healthcare professionals are reluctant to do so, according to Caceres.

“They feel that the patient will be postponed by it,” he said. “They feel they will offend patients who are not LGBTQ, or they feel they are not true.”

However, doing so as part of the regular collection of demographic information will provide data that may lead to better treatment, along with appropriate training for those who collect it, he and Rosendale said. Said.

Meanwhile, healthcare providers can now use the information in the report to provide better care, Rosendale said.

For example, doctors talk to patients by learning about research findings such as LGBTQ people being at high risk of smoking, having difficulty eating a healthy diet, and living in dangerous homes due to discrimination. You can get important background knowledge for. According to Rosendale, it helps doctors make plans by saying, “I’m going to partner with you to help you get as healthy as possible.”

She said LGBTQ people as a group should not be considered fragile. “I think the LGBTQ community has a great deal of resilience and strength. From a historical point of view, we’ve experienced a lot over the years, but it’s fair. We’re still fighting for access. To some basic rights-healthcare is one of them. “

However, understanding the relationship between heart health, sexual orientation, and gender identity is the basis of progress for LGBTQ people and everyone who cares for them, Rosendale said. “Knowledge is power, isn’t it?”

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