Heart Disease Is Now the Leading Cause of Death for Hispanic Adults

Beans are a particularly useful staple, Mattei says, because they provide fiber and protein. Plus, they’re relatively inexpensive.

Sandra J. Arévalo, a registered dietitian at Montefiore Nyack Hospital in Rockland County, New York, suggests swapping white rice for higher-fiber choices such as brown rice or quinoa.

Contreras also recommends choosing fish or lean chicken more often and eating processed meats such as chorizo, sausage and salami less often.

Cost can make these changes harder. A 2024 poll cited by the American Heart Association found that 68 percent of Hispanic and Latino Americans said the cost of healthy food was their biggest barrier to better nutrition. The group recommends options such as frozen vegetables and no-salt-added canned beans.

Another thing that can make a difference for heart health is changing how you cook. When it comes to frying, Arévalo is blunt: “ ‘Fried’ is my f-word.”

She recommends steaming, boiling, grilling, sautéing or baking foods instead. She also suggests using olive or canola oil in place of butter or lard when possible and trimming visible fat from meat before cooking.

Cilantro, bay leaves, cumin, paprika, oregano and thyme can boost flavor, Mattei says. “Some Latin American countries add sofrito, a base of garlic, pepper, and onion, and sometimes tomato,” she adds.

Dr. Jaideep Patel, a cardiologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine in Baltimore, recommends keeping sodium intake below 2,300 milligrams (mg) per day and moving toward 1,500 mg for greater blood pressure benefits. He suggests reading labels, rinsing canned beans and cutting back on bouillon, canned soups and processed meats — all of which are high in salt.

Finally, if you drink sugary beverages or eat a lot of sweets, try to scale back. “Cutting the sugar cold turkey almost never works,” Arévalo says. “You need to change your taste buds gradually, and that might take more than a few days.”

If you add sugar to coffee, she suggests slowly reducing the amount. The same approach can work with aguas frescas.

Mattei recommends choosing water more often and adding fresh lime, cucumber or orange for flavor.

2. Know your numbers

When it comes to heart health, experts say it’s crucial to know a few key numbers.

Blood pressure. A blood pressure reading below 120/80 mm Hg is considered normal, Contreras says. If readings are repeatedly 130/80 or higher, talk with a health care professional, because uncontrolled high blood pressure can lead to a heart attack, stroke, heart failure and other serious outcomes. You can get a free blood pressure reading at many pharmacies, grocery stores, health clinics and community fairs.

Blood sugar. Contreras says your blood sugar level should be below 100 on a blood test after fasting. A reading between 100 and 125 can signal prediabetes, and anything higher than 126 may indicate diabetes and needs further evaluation.

Some people may need an A1c test, which, Patel says, shows your average blood sugar over about three months. An A1c below 5.7 percent is normal. From 5.7 to 6.4 percent is considered prediabetes. A result of 6.5 percent or higher may indicate diabetes.

In 2022, Hispanic and Latino Americans died from diabetes 17 percent more often than the rest of the U.S. population, according to federal data.

Cholesterol. Like high blood pressure, high cholesterol doesn’t come with any warning signs or symptoms, which is why it’s important to know where you stand. Too much LDL cholesterol, also known as “bad cholesterol,” can contribute to plaque buildup in the arteries and raise the risk of heart attack and stroke. A health care provider can measure your LDL cholesterol with a simple blood test. “There isn’t one ideal LDL level for everyone. The appropriate goal depends on your overall cardiovascular risk and whether you already have heart or vascular disease,” Contreras says.

Kidney tests. “Kidney damage is an early, silent marker of cardiovascular risk,” Patel says, which is why some people may benefit from a few additional tests to check the health of their kidneys. A blood creatinine test can be used to estimate how well your kidneys are working. A urine albumin test looks for protein in the urine, which can be a sign of kidney damage.

3. Work exercise into your everyday routine

Finding time to fit in physical activity can be challenging, but Contreras says you can start small and look for everyday ways to move your body more. 

“Start with 10 minutes. Walk around your neighborhood, dance at home, garden, take the stairs or walk after dinner. It all counts,” she says.

Then you can gradually add time. The American Heart Association recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate activity a week (that could be 30 minutes, five days a week) or 75 minutes of vigorous activity. Kizer also recommends two days a week of resistance training. Nearly one-third of Hispanic adults say they are not getting moderate-to-vigorous physical activity.

4. Focus on getting enough sleep

Sleep is also important to heart health. In fact, poor or insufficient sleep is associated with high blood pressure, obesity, abnormal blood sugar and cardiovascular disease.

Most adults should aim for seven to nine hours each night, Contreras says. The latest report, however, found that approximately one-third of Hispanic adults report getting less than seven hours of sleep per night. Contreras recommends keeping regular sleep and wake times, cutting back on screen time before bed and avoiding heavy meals, excessive alcohol and caffeine close to bedtime.

If you snore loudly, stop breathing or gasp during sleep or remain very sleepy during the day, ask your doctor about sleep apnea, Contreras says.

5. Know the warning signs of a heart emergency

Recognizing the warning signs of a serious heart event can help people get treatment faster.

Dr. Joyce Oen-Hsiao, a cardiologist at Yale Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, points to what can happen before symptoms become severe. “When a person’s coronary arteries are closing down, it gets to a point where they might start having chest pain, shortness of breath, heartburn, or fatigue with exertion. Some people tend to dismiss these, thinking that it was just because they were tired or it was something they ate,” she says.

Women, older adults and people with diabetes may have a heart attack without chest pain, Patel says. In those cases, symptoms can include neck, jaw or stomach pain, nausea, sweating, unusual fatigue or lightheadedness.

For stroke, Contreras says to remember the acronym FAST:

F: face drooping

A: arm weakness

S: speech difficulty

T: time to call 911

Sudden confusion, trouble seeing, difficulty walking, loss of balance or a sudden severe headache can also signal a stroke.