In women participating in the Women’s Health Study follow-up cohort, both cumulative psychosocial stress (CPS) and ideal cardiovascular health (ICH) varies by race/ethnicity. The follow-up cohort included 25,062 women (n=24,053 white; n=256 Hispanic; n=440 black; n=313 Asian). The health metric included smoking, body mass index (BMI), physical activity, diet, blood pressure, total cholesterol, and glucose; with higher levels indicating more ideal CV health and less CV risk (score range: 0‒7). Researchers created a CPS score which summarized acute and chronic stressors and traumatic life event stress reported on a stress questionnaire administered in 2012‒2013. They found:

• White women had the lowest mean CPS scores.
• Mean CPS scores remained higher in Hispanic, black, and Asian women compared to white women after adjusting for age, socioeconomic status, and psychological status (depression and anxiety).
• Mean ICH scored varies by race/ethnicity and were significantly lower in black women and higher in Asian women compared to white women.