Social determinants of health and its impact on cardiovascular disease in underserved populations: A critical review

In the United States, a patient succumbs to cardiovascular disease (CVD) every 33 seconds and costs the healthcare system close to $240 billion dollars annually. Social determinants of health (SDOH) are key factors responsible in structuring the well-being of individuals and communities. It significantly influences health outcomes and is reliant on several factors such as economic stability, education, healthcare access, community composition, and governmental policies. This review explores the impact of SDOH on the escalating global burden of CVD and identifies potential modifiable risk factors that contribute to acute coronary syndrome (ACS) among underserved communities. In addition, it also addresses the necessity for interventions to narrow healthcare related disparities ensuring improvement in CVD outcomes in this subgroup of population. Figure legend: Conceptual framework indicating the Social Determinants of Health (SDOH) and health disparities alongside modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors which impact cardiovascular health. Created with BioRender.com. [Display omitted]