According to some health experts, one of the most critical health inequities among LGBTQ adults often goes overlooked.
A mounting body of research shows that LGBTQ adults are more likely to have worse heart health than their heterosexual peers. Lesbian, gay and bisexual adults were 36% less likely than heterosexual adults to have ideal cardiovascular health, the American Heart Association concluded in 2018, based on surveys of risk factors like smoking and blood glucose levels.
Stress directly impacts certain hormones that regulate your blood pressure and heart rate, said Billy Caceres, an assistant professor at the School of Nursing and the Center for Sexual and Gender Minority Health Research at Columbia University. Researchers sometimes refer to the allostatic load, the cumulative toll that chronic stress takes on the brain and body, said Scott Bertani, the director of advocacy at HealthHIV, a nonprofit focused on advancing prevention and care for people at risk for HIV. “It only stands to reason that our bodies respond to these really complex and challenging life events and demands,” he said.
Finding medical providers that you feel comfortable and safe around can be key in preventing heart disease, experts said. Streed recommends that LGBTQ adults seek out supportive medical practitioners. The Gay and Lesbian Medical Association offers a directory on its website that allows patients to find health professionals. The Human Rights Campaign creates an annual Healthcare Equality Index — a list of health care facilities that say they are inclusive of LGBTQ patients.
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