National study reveals sharp drop in preventive heart screenings for adults with disabilities during pandemic, underscoring persistent health inequities.
RT’s Three Key Takeaways:
- Disrupted preventive care: Adults with disabilities were significantly more likely to miss or delay cardiovascular health screenings during the COVID-19 pandemic, even after adjusting for economic factors.
- Persistent disparities: Screening rates for blood pressure, cholesterol, and glucose declined notably among people with cognitive, physical, or multiple disabilities, with only limited recovery in some groups by 2023.
- Structural barriers and financial strain: Ongoing issues like cost, inaccessible healthcare infrastructure, and limited telehealth access disproportionately impacted disabled individuals, compounding their already elevated cardiovascular risk.
A new national study led by researchers from the University of Delaware and George Mason University reveals troubling disparities in healthcare access for adults with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic – especially when it comes to essential cardiovascular (CV) health screenings.
Using data from over 150,000 U.S. adults across five years (2019–2023), the study, published in American Journal of Preventive Medicine, finds that people with disabilities were significantly more likely to delay or miss preventive care during the pandemic – even after accounting for economic disruptions.
Cardiovascular screenings like blood pressure, cholesterol and blood glucose tests – key tools in preventing heart disease – declined across the board for people with disabilities, especially those with cognitive, physical, or multiple impairments. For example, blood pressure screening rates among adults with cognitive disabilities fell from 89% in 2019 to 83% in 2021. Blood glucose testing dropped nearly six percentage points for those with multiple disabilities.
And while cholesterol screening eventually rebounded for adults with sensory disabilities by 2023, other groups saw persistent gaps.
The study also found that adults with cognitive and physical disabilities were significantly more likely to delay or go without medical care because of cost, highlighting ongoing financial barriers. These disparities remained even after controlling for changes in insurance coverage, income, or employment during the pandemic.
The findings have serious public health implications. Adults with disabilities are already at higher risk for cardiovascular disease – the leading cause of death in the U.S. – making preventive care all the more critical.
Researchers emphasize that while healthcare disruptions affected everyone during COVID-19, people with disabilities experienced disproportionate setbacks, largely due to pre-existing structural barriers. These include inaccessible medical facilities, lack of provider training, communication challenges and limited access to telehealth or transportation.
