"An important finding that doctors should take note of is that Hispanics are not monolithic with respect to cardiovascular risk factors," Dr. Rodriguez says. "Different subgroups originating in different geographic areas of Latin America manifest significant differences in the way their hearts handle stress from underlying conditions or disease. It is interesting that despite these differences, a high prevalence of cardiac hypertrophy and cardiac risk was present among all the Hispanic subgroups."

The research from Columbia, funded in part by the Harold Amos Medical Faculty Development Program of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, is the first comparative analysis of Hispanic subgroups in a single cohort to demonstrate differential prevalence of hypertension and diabetes and relate them to cardiac structure across Hispanic subgroups, which illustrates the heterogeneity of the Hispanic population.

"When considering heart disease in minority populations, it is important for doctors to weigh crucial distinctions among Hispanic groups," Dr. Rodriguez says. "We need to better appreciate, understand and address differences among Hispanic ethnic subgroups to prevent adverse cardiovascular events in this population."