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Study Corroborates ‘Weathering,’ Links Racism to Racial Health Disparities

Study authors said that experiences of racism in high-stakes situations, like police interactions, can cause stress that stems into racial health disparities in cardiovascular disease.

weathering further linked to racial health disparities

Source: Getty Images

By Sara Heath

- More research is adding to the evidence indicating that the weathering hypothesis has some merit, with new data from Boston University showing that experiences with racism have led to racial health disparities in heart disease.

The study, which looked at more than 48,000 Black women over 22 years, found that experiences of interpersonal racism at work, in housing, and in interactions with the police led to a 26 percent greater risk of coronary heart disease.

“This is the first longitudinal evidence that perceived racism is associated with increased risk of coronary heart disease,” Shanshan Sheehy, a BU Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine assistant professor, stated publicly. “Racism has a real impact on the heart health of Black women.”