Redlining's Impact: Higher Heart Failure Risk for Black Adults in Redlined Neighborhoods

Black adults living in historically redlined neighborhoods have an 8% higher risk of developing heart failure compared to Black adults in non-redlined areas, according to a study published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation. The discriminatory lending practice of redlining, which denied loans and insurance to people of color seeking homes outside undesirable areas, has had long-term effects on the health of these communities. The study also found that higher levels of socioeconomic distress explained approximately half of the excess risk of heart failure. Previous research has shown that hypertension and Type 2 diabetes also disproportionately affect Black residents in these neighborhoods.