Community-Driven Policies to Improve Cardiovascular Health

Dheeraj Chilamakuri

Abstract: Cardiovascular diseases (CVD) remain the leading cause of mortality in the United States, disproportionately affecting socioeconomically disadvantaged communities. This paper explores community-driven policies aimed at reducing CVD by addressing key social determinants such as education, socioeconomic disparities, food accessibility, and housing inequities. It evaluates existing public health initiatives and proposes targeted strategies, including the deployment of community health workers, expansion of affordable housing, and promotion of healthier food environments to mitigate CVD risk factors. The analysis highlights the economic and social benefits of these policies, emphasizing their potential to lower healthcare costs and improve public health outcomes. By integrating systemic policy reforms and community engagement, this study advocates for a multifaceted approach to combating cardiovascular diseases and reducing health disparities.

Keywords: Cardiovascular Diseases (CVD), Community-Driven Policies, Health Disparities, Social Determinants of Health, Food Deserts and nutrition Equity, Housing Inequities, and Public Health, Socioeconomic Disparities in Healthcare, Community Health Workers and Health Literacy, Public Health Policy and prevention Strategies, Economic Burden of Cardiovascular Diseases