Contemporary studies of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) within American Indian communities are lacking, despite recent work indicating high rates of group A streptococcus, the precursor to RHD. Utilizing retrospective chart review of the Indian Health Service, we sought to characterize the burden of acute rheumatic fever and RHD within an American Indian tribe in Eastern Arizona. Our study found that, in line with other high-income countries, RHD in the US continues to disproportionately impact native peoples, with rates 10 times that of the general population.
Keywords: American Indian; Health disparities; Rheumatic heart disease.
© 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc.