We Need to Talk about Social Determinants of Cardiovascular Health

In addition to traditional biological risk factors, several social determinants play a significant role in cardiovascular risk. The Social Determinants of Health (SDH) refer to the social, economic, cultural, ethnic, educational, and environmental conditions in which people live and how these conditions impact health. These determinants can encompass factors such as income, working conditions, access to health services, education, housing, transportation, support networks, and others.^,

The relationship between socioeconomic factors and health began to be observed during the Industrial Revolution in Europe. One of the pioneers in this field was Rudolf Virchow, a German physician, and politician who, in the mid-nineteenth century, highlighted the impact of social conditions on health. He emphasized that addressing issues such as education, housing, and work was necessary to improve the population’s health. It is from Virchow the phrase “medicine is a social science, and politics is nothing but medicine on a large scale”.

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