Heart Disease in Black and White

Two studies demonstrate striking racial differences in the incidence and treatment of cardiovascular disease and raise broader questions about racial disparities in access to care and the effectiveness of communication between doctors and patients.

Abstract

Despite the dismantling of legal barriers that enforced segregation and limited opportunity for black Americans, racial disparities persist in all areas of American society1. Health care is no exception. Two studies in this issue of the Journal2,3 demonstrate striking racial differences in the incidence and treatment of cardiovascular disease. These findings raise broader questions about racial disparities in access to care and the effectiveness of communication between doctors and patients. Such disparities also compound the underlying ill effects of limited socioeconomic opportunities on the health of black Americans.Becker and colleagues report that the incidence of out-of-hospital cardiac . . .