The government backed the practice of redlining since the 1930’s , disproportionately flagging certain neighborhoods as “hazardous” and too high-risk for home mortgage lending, based on their racial and ethnic composition. This resulted in systemic divestment in poor urban communities with a majority of Black and Hispanic residents.

Montefiore Einstein stroke specialists conducted an ecological cross-sectional study investigating the relationship between the former policy of redlining and contemporary stroke rates, as well as other known social determinants of health (SDOH).

As reported in our recent publication from the April 2023 issue of JAMA Network we found that historical redlining was associated with the modern-day prevalence of stroke in New York City. Individuals living in formerly redlined neighborhoods had a higher risk of stroke, even after controlling for traditional cardiovascular and stroke risk factors, such as age, diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia and smoking, as well as other factors such as median household income, poverty, social cohesion, uninsurance rate, educational attainment, race and ethnicity, health care professional unavailability, and language barriers.

This study contributes to our understanding of the relationship between historical structural racism and the enduring effects on contemporary health outcomes, including community-level cardiovascular health and stroke risk, disproportionately impacting communities of color. 

The Montefiore Einstein Comprehensive Stroke Center strives to close the gap in racial and ethnic stroke disparities. While the practice of redlining became illegal—and officially ended in 1968 with the passage of the Fair Housing Act banning racial discrimination in housing—the socioeconomic impacts remain.