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The leading causes of death among Latinos are diabetes and cardiovascular disease, according to the first national annual report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 
(CDC).
The report evaluates the health risks Latinos were exposed to in comparison to non-Hispanic whites in the U.S between 2009 and 2013.
Despite less Latinos dying from the top 10 most lethal diseases in the United States more Latinos die from diabetes, chronic liver disease and cirrhosis.
The report also found that among Latinos smoking is less common (14%) than among whites (24%), but is high among Puerto Rican males (26 %) and Cuban males (22%).
The CDC also found differences among Hispanics born in the U.S. and those born abroad. Latinos born outside the United States are more prone to suffer from cervical, stomach and liver cancer. Whereas Latinos born in the Unites States have a higher incidence of high blood pressure and “more high total cholesterol.”
Social factors also play a major role in Hispanic health. 1 in 3 has not completed high 
school; 1 in 4 lives below the poverty line; and 1 in 3 does not speak English well.
In order to improve Latino health in the United States the CDC recommends doctors and healthcare professionals to talk to patients about weight control and diet if they’re at risk of cancer, high blood pressure and diabetes.
They also recommend engaging community health workers (promotores de salud) to educate people on healthy habits and to link them to free or low cost services.
By The Numbers
25.1
percent
of Latinos remain without health insurance coverage
