Broadening and Broadcasting the Impact of Cardiovascular Risk Factors Among Muslim Residents of Southern New Jersey with Special Emphasis on Opportunities of Future Interventions and Prevention

According to AHA and NIH, CVD includes stroke, congenital heart disease, rhythm disorders, subclinical atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, heart failure, valvular disease, venous disease, and peripheral artery disease. Between 2017 and 2020, 127.9 million US adults (48.6%) had some form of CVD. Among the target population, it was found that observing Ramadan fasting leads to an increase in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides levels post-fasting. Yet, Islam emphasizes the importance of physical health as a privilege from God (Allah (swt)) and is seen as a religious duty. The objective of the HCOP service project was to investigate the impact of CVD disease within Muslim residents in Southern NJ with a special emphasis on the role of the SDoH. Researchers developed and distributed a pamphlet regarding CVD risk factors to build awareness among Mosque residents and ultimately reduce the incidence of CVD. With the continued rise and risk in CVD deaths among NJ residents, potential opportunities of interventions include: -Connect with clergy leadership to bring awareness of the impact of CVD on the community. -Hosting educational opportunities within Muslim communities to pilot future interventional opportunities.