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What Is Heart Disease

What Is Heart Disease—And Why Should Latinxs Care?

Heart disease actually isn’t one condition—it’s a group of problems that affect how your heart works. The most common type is coronary artery disease, which happens when plaque builds up in your arteries and slows down blood flow to your heart. That can lead to chest pain, heart attacks, strokes, and even sudden death.

Other types of heart disease include:

Heart failure
Arrhythmias (irregular heartbeat)
Congenital heart defects
Valvular disease

And here’s the big stat: Heart disease is the leading cause of death for Latinx adults in the U.S., according to the CDC.

We’re also more likely to have risk factors like:

High blood pressure (often undiagnosed)
Type 2 diabetes
Obesity
High cholesterol
Chronic stress (yes, it’s real)
Less access to preventive care

In other words? Even if you’re young and healthy, you might be carrying hidden risk.