Summary: A new study shows a significant, harmful link between violent crime and heart health. It appears that when violent crime rises, deaths from heart disease rise too. People of color are more likely to live in areas with high crime. So they are especially at risk.
Violent crime causes much death and despair. And these are deaths we can prevent. But violent crime also causes a lot of emotional distress in the people around it. That raises the risk of many health problems. A new study in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that violent crime can significantly raise the risk of a heart attack. So violent crime affects more than the people directly involved. It also has a bigger impact on the community as a whole. Researchers say this study shows how our surroundings shape health and well-being. It is also one of the first studies to show that violent crime shapes heart health. It sits alongside income, social status, and racism. The researchers used 15 years of Chicago data. They looked at violent crime between 2000 and 2014 and heart attacks in the same years. They found that a 16 percent drop in violent crime came with a 13 percent drop in heart deaths. Then they looked more closely at different parts of Chicago. The worse the crime problem in an area, the more heart problems it had. Areas where violent crime was 59% lower than other areas had about 15% fewer heart disease deaths. Even a small drop in violent crime, like 10%, could bring a significant drop in heart deaths. The researchers say they were amazed to find such a strong link between violent crime and heart events. Even the smallest change in crime rates can affect heart deaths. So even a small rise in crime in any area may have long-term health costs. The study was done in only one big city. But the researchers say they have every reason to believe the results apply elsewhere. The study had some other notable findings. Violent crime rates were higher in areas where people of color live. That puts them at greater risk of certain health problems. The researchers did not study the racial makeup of each area. Still, they say their evidence matters. It means many health problems are more common in some communities, such as Black communities and other communities of color, not because of genes. They are more common because of where people live. In the end, it means racist policies are putting them at greater risk of certain health conditions. Some early studies have already looked at how our surroundings affect health. For example, studies show health benefits from adding green spaces or helping communities repair homes. Now researchers say we need to learn how these steps affect heart health. They also plan to study how different kinds of violent crime affect health. For example, gun violence has spiked in some parts of the US in recent years. Different crimes in different neighborhoods may have very different effects on community health.
Frequently asked questions
Does violent crime increase the risk of heart disease?
The study above, in the Journal of the American Heart Association, found a significant link. Using Chicago data from 2000 to 2014, researchers saw that the worse an area’s crime problem, the more heart problems it had. Heart disease deaths fell as violent crime fell. Violent crime also spreads emotional distress through a community. That raises the risk of many health problems.
How does neighborhood crime affect people who are not victims?
Violent crime harms more than the people directly involved. It spreads emotional distress across the whole community. That stress raises the risk of many health problems, including heart attack. Researchers say the study shows how our surroundings shape health. Violent crime is one of the social forces that shape heart health, along with income, social status and racism.
Why are some communities at higher risk?
Violent crime rates were higher in areas where people of color live. That puts residents at greater risk of certain health problems. The researchers did not study the racial makeup of each area. But they say the evidence points to surroundings, not genes, as the reason some illnesses are more common in Black and other communities. And they say racist policies add to that risk.
Can improving a neighborhood improve heart health?
Even a small drop in violent crime was linked to fewer heart disease deaths. And a small rise may bring long-term health costs. Earlier studies found health benefits from adding green spaces and helping communities repair homes. Researchers now want to test how those changes affect heart health. They also want to learn how different kinds of violent crime, such as gun crime, affect it.
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Dr. Gurpreet Singh Padda, MD, MBA, MHP
