Stronger Hearts, Stronger Communities
By Gloria Romano-Barrera
Cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of death among Hispanics in the United States, an urgent public health reality that continues to affect a fast-growing and diverse population. Yet behind the statistics is a deeper challenge. Gaps in awareness, access, and culturally relevant care that too often prevent early detection and treatment of high cholesterol, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke.
That’s the driving force behind a new national bilingual initiative from Amgen in partnership with the National Hispanic Health Foundation (NHHF), a yearlong campaign designed to increase cholesterol awareness, expand free testing, and bring culturally grounded education directly into Hispanic communities across the country.
“As cholesterol guidelines continue to emphasize the importance of lowering LDL-C, it’s critical that patients at higher cardiovascular risk have the support they need to reach and maintain healthier levels over time,” shares Michelle Carrillo, AVP, Corporate Affairs, Amgen. “In the Hispanic community, we know there are real disparities in access, awareness, and care, which makes culturally relevant education especially important. At Amgen, we’re proud to partner with the National Hispanic Health Foundation to help provide resources that resonate with Hispanic communities and empower patients to better understand their risk and take action alongside their health care teams.”
The campaign builds on existing LDL-C (bad cholesterol) awareness efforts but expands the focus beyond clinical settings and into everyday spaces, community centers, workplaces, colleges, and digital platforms. The goal is simple but urgent: normalize cholesterol screening and close the gap in preventable heart disease.
“For Hispanic communities, that gap is shaped by a mix of barriers that go far beyond individual behavior,” shares Dr. Elena Rios, founder and President, National Hispanic Health Foundation (NHHF). “Limited access to healthcare, lack of insurance, language obstacles, and difficulty navigating the system all contribute to lower screening rates.”
That message is central to the campaign’s strategy, which leans heavily on trusted messengers, Hispanic health professionals, and community leaders who can communicate in culturally and linguistically relevant ways. The initiative also prioritizes Spanish-language education and expanded access to no-cost cholesterol testing, particularly in regions with high Hispanic populations and low screening rates. A key focus is reaching younger Hispanic adults, who are often the least likely to know their cholesterol numbers.
Experts involved in the campaign emphasize that cardiovascular risk begins earlier than many people realize, and early awareness can change long-term outcomes.
“We need to meet younger Hispanic adults where they are—on social media, in workplaces, on college campuses, and through trusted community organizations,” shares Dr. Rios. “When individuals understand their cholesterol levels in their 20s and 30s, they can take early steps that may significantly improve their long-term heart health.”
A recurring theme across the campaign is the need to normalize conversations around cholesterol, the same way blood pressure or mental health has become part of everyday health dialogue.
Awareness is also critical because high cholesterol often has no symptoms.
“The best way to explain it is simple: high cholesterol is often silent,” Dr. Rios emphasizes. “A person can feel completely healthy yet still have elevated levels that increase risk over time. The only way to know your cholesterol numbers is through a blood test.”
Genetics further complicates the picture. Conditions such as familial hypercholesterolemia can cause dangerously high cholesterol regardless of diet or lifestyle. Family history, such as heart attacks, strokes, or high cholesterol across generations, can be an important early warning sign.
Layered on top of that are conditions like diabetes and hypertension, which frequently occur alongside high cholesterol and significantly increase cardiovascular risk. Together, they create a compounding effect that makes screening and early intervention even more critical.
Despite these challenges, the campaign emphasizes that prevention is both possible and powerful. It also addresses common misconceptions, such as the belief that cholesterol is only a concern for older adults or that medication represents personal failure rather than a tool for prevention.
For many leaders involved, the work is personal. Alejandra Lavalley, a patient advocate partner with Amgen, who is currently taking the PCSK9 inhibitor Repatha to treat to treat familial hypercholesterolemia, describes how lifestyle, culture, and family can play a role in managing risk. “We are a culture of food,” she shares, “And while it may be difficult to make tweaks to what we eat and how often, it’s possible. My family focuses on protein-rich meals at home, but once every couple of weeks, we indulge and enjoy a comfort meal of enchiladas. The key is to not overindulge. To that end, I buy a pre-portioned, heat-and-eat Meal Simple from H-E-B. It takes the guesswork out of how much to make/serve, and it’s delicious.”
She also emphasizes the importance of movement, what she calls “joyful movement,” and the value of tracking health over time to identify patterns that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Perhaps most importantly, the campaign highlights the role of family in shaping health decisions. For many Hispanic households, women often serve as the foundation of family care, managing not only their own health but also guiding children, partners, and extended relatives.
That responsibility can sometimes lead to self-neglect, but advocates hope to shift that mindset. Taking care of one’s own health, they say, is not an act of selfishness. It’s an investment in the family’s future.
“The American Heart Association recommends screening beginning at 9-11 years old,” shares Lavalley. “For children who have a family history, screening can begin even earlier. My daughter sees a pediatric cardiologist routinely due to a congenital heart defect, but her cardiologist has recommended that, due to her family history and her active lifestyle (she participates in an endurance sport), we begin to screen at five. For a lot of Hispanic families, women are the foundation. We’re wives, moms, tias, abuelas; our families depend on us. This oftentimes means that we’re putting ourselves last, behind our husbands and children and families and work. We must take care of ourselves and our health so that we can be there for the people we love the most. I’m glad to be part of the generation making the cultural shift towards self-care because hopefully that means the generations that follow will be healthier and more prepared for anything that comes their way.”
For more information, please visit https://nationalhispanichealthfoundation.org/health-education/.