The Hispanic Paradox and Lifestyle Factors
There is a unique epidemiological phenomenon called the Hispanic
paradox, which states that Hispanics in the United States have a lower
rate of CVD mortality and a longer life expectancy relative to
non-Hispanic White counterparts despite a higher prevalence of CVD risk
factors and disadvantageous socioeconomic
conditions.32 This observation could guide further
research on potential cardioprotective factors in Hispanic populations
that could be extrapolated to other ethnicities. A systematic review and
meta-analysis conducted by Ruiz et al. illustrated this paradox by
examining 58 studies that reported on Hispanic all-cause mortality
compared to those from other ethnicities.6 Overall,
Hispanic populations had an overall lower risk of mortality compared to
non-Hispanic White demographics and non-Hispanic Black demographics, and
this variation was especially pronounced in the context of CVD. Another
study by Mossavar-Rahmani et al. examined the prospective link between
physical activity, sedentary behavior, and cardiometabolic biomarkers in
a cohort of 8,049 United States Hispanics/Latinos.33They revealed that low sedentary behavior and adherence to physical
activity guidelines are linked to health benefits, especially in
normoglycemic adults without CVD. This could further provide evidence
for this paradoxical observation.33 Lifestyle
modifications could have a more cardioprotective effect on the mortality
associated with ion channelopathies than previously hypothesized. The
accumulation of these studies has built a broad base of knowledge on ion
channelopathies and the prevalence of arrhythmias in Hispanic/Latino
populations. Nonetheless, further studies should be conducted within
families and various ethnic subgroups to determine significant genetic
and environmental factors affecting the development of cardiac ion
channelopathies in these populations.