Abstract 06: Discrimination Experiences and All-Cause and Cardiovascular Mortality: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis

Introduction: Epidemiologic studies have documented the associations between experiences of discrimination and adverse health outcomes. However, the relationship between discrimination and mortality, and the factors that may moderate this relationship are not well understood. This study examined whether lifetime and everyday discrimination were associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality, and whether these associations differed by race/ethnicity, gender, and racial/ethnic residential segregation. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that greater exposure to lifetime and everyday discrimination would be associated with increased risk of cardiovascular mortality, and that these associations would be modified by race/ethnicity, gender, and racial/ethnic residential segregation. Methods: The study included 1,633 Black, 1,403 Hispanic/Latino, and 2,473 White participants aged 45 to 84 years from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, enrolled from 2000-2002 and followed across 5 exams (2002-2018). In addition to exams, follow-up for mortality involved phone calls and linkage with the National Death Index. Discrimination was measured using the lifetime discrimination (major experiences of unfair treatment) and everyday discrimination (day-to-day experiences of unfair treatment) scales. Racial/ethnic residential segregation was measured using the Gi* statistic. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95%CIs), adjusting for sociodemographic characteristics, health behaviors, and clinical risk factors. Results: Each increase in reports of lifetime discrimination was associated with increased all-cause (HR=1.06; 95%CI 1.00,1.11,) and cardiovascular (HR=1.15; 95%CI 1.04, 1.27) mortality, adjusting for sociodemographic factors, health behaviors, and clinical risk factors. Associations between lifetime discrimination and cardiovascular mortality were observed across all racial/ethnic groups but were strongest and only statistically significant among Black participants (HR=1.18; 95%CI 1.02, 1.37). Additionally, in the fully adjusted model, each increase in reports of everyday discrimination was marginally associated with increased all-cause mortality (HR=1.07; 95%CI 0.98-1.17) and strongly associated with increased cardiovascular mortality (HR=1.21; 95%CI 1.03, 1.43). Associations for lifetime and everyday discrimination with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality were not modified by race/ethnicity, gender, or racial/ethnic residential segregation. Conclusion: These findings suggest that experiences of discrimination are associated with increased all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. Our results underscore the need for interventions aimed at preventing and mitigating the adverse health effects of discrimination.