Coronary artery disease (CAD) is a significant health problem and global burden. Research on antisocial behaviors has identified some groups of offenders as vulnerable to the development of cardiovascular disorders. This article reviews the relationship between criminal offending and CAD, with a particular emphasis on incarcerated populations. Existing research supports this link, with incarceration demonstrating substantial associations with numerous cardiac risk factors, development of cardiac problems, and cardiovascular disease mortality. Comprehensive multicomponent prevention programs, while often available in the community, have received little research attention in prison settings. In addition to clarifying the relationship between incarceration and heart disease, this article reviews various treatment and management responses made by prison officials.
BelenkoS., PeughJ. (2005). Estimating drug treatment needs among state prison inmates. Drug and Alcohol Dependence, 77, 269–281.
2.
BinswangerI., SternM., DeyoR., HeagertyP., CheadleA., ElmoreJ., KoepsellT. D. (2007). Release from prison—A high risk of death for former inmates. New England Journal of Medicine, 356, 157–165.
3.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2011). Vital signs: Current cigarette smoking among adults aged ≥ 18 years—United States, 2005–2010. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 60, 1207–1212. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6035a5.htm
4.
ClarkeJ. G., WaringM. E. (2012). Overweight, obesity, and weight change among incarcerated women. Journal of Correctional Health Care, 18, 285–292.
5.
ClouseM. L., ManninoD., CurdP. R. (2012). Investigation of the correlates and effectiveness of a prison-based wellness program. Journal of Correctional Health Care, 18, 184–197.
6.
ConklinT. J., LincolnT., TuthillR. W. (2000). Self-reported health and prior health behaviors of newly admitted correctional inmates. American Journal of Public Health, 90, 1939–1941.
7.
CropseyK., EldridgeG. D., LadnerT. (2004). Smoking among female prisoners: An ignored public health epidemic. Addictive Behaviors, 29, 425–431.
8.
DonahueJ. J. (2009). Tobacco smoking among incarcerated individuals: A review of the nature of the problem and what is being done in response. Journal of Offender Rehabilitation, 48, 589–604.
9.
D’SouzaR. M., ButlerT., PetrovskyN. (2005). Assessment of cardiovascular disease risk factors and diabetes mellitus in Australian prisons: Is the prisoner population unhealthier than the rest of the Australian population?. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 29, 318–323.
10.
EmbersonJ. R., WhincupP. H., MorrisR. W., WalkerM. (2004). Social class differences in coronary heart disease in middle-aged British men: Implications for prevention. International Journal of Epidemiology, 33, 289–296.
11.
EpsteinL. H. (1993). Methodological issues and ten-year outcomes for obese children. Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 699, 237–249.
12.
EspositoM. (2010). The health of Italian prison inmates today: A critical approach. Journal of Correctional Health Care, 16, 230–238.
13.
EsseK., Fossati-BellaniM., TraylorA., Martin-SchildS. (2011). Epidemic of illicit drug use, mechanisms of action/addiction and stroke as a health hazard. Brain and Behavior, 1, 44–54.
14.
FazelS., BainsP., DollH. (2006). Substance abuse and dependence in prisoners: A systematic review. Addiction, 101, 181–191.
HouleB. (2011). Obesity disparities among disadvantaged men: National adult male inmate prevalence pooled with non-incarcerated estimates, United States, 2002–2004. Social Science and Medicine, 72, 1667–1673.
17.
KaplanG. A., KeilJ. E. (1993). Socioeconomic factors and cardiovascular disease: A review of the literature. Circulation, 88, 1973–1998.
18.
KhavjouO. A., ClarkeJ., HofeldtR. M., LihsP., LooR. K., PrabhuM., WillJ. C. (2007). A captive audience: Bringing the WISEWOMAN program to South Dakota prisoners. Women’s Health Issues, 17, 193–201.
19.
KrantzD. S., LundgrenN. R. (1998). Cardiovascular disorders. In BellackA. S., HersenM. (Eds.), Comprehensive clinical psychology (pp. 189–216). New York, NY: Pergamon Press.
20.
LevineS. Z. (2011). Elaboration on the association between IQ and parental SES with subsequent crime. Personality and Individual Differences, 50, 1233–1237.
21.
MartinS. S., ButzinC. A., SaumC. A., InciardiJ. A. (1999). Three-year outcomes of therapeutic community treatment for drug-involved offenders in Delaware: From prison to work release to aftercare. The Prison Journal, 79, 294–320.
22.
MassogliaM. (2008). Incarceration, health, and racial disparities in health. Law and Society Review, 42, 275–306.
23.
MoffittT. (1993). Adolescence-limited and life-course-persistent antisocial behavior: A developmental taxonomy. Psychological Review, 100, 674–701.
24.
MoffittT. (2006). Life-course persistent versus adolescence-limited antisocial behavior. In CicchettiD., CohenD. (Eds.), Developmental psychopathology (pp. 570–598). New York, NY: John Wiley.
OckeneI. S., OckeneJ. K. (Eds.). (1992). Prevention of coronary heart disease. Boston, MA: Little, Brown.
28.
OrnishD., BrownS. E., ScherwitzL. W., BillingsJ. H., ArmstrongW. T., PortsT. A., GouldK. L. (1990). Lifestyle changes and heart disease. Lancet, 336, 741–742.
29.
PattersonE. J. (2010). Incarcerating death: Mortality in U.S. state correctional facilities, 1985–1998. Demography, 47, 587–607.
30.
PennantM., DavenportC., BaylissS., GreenheldW., MarshallT., HydeC. (2010). Community programs for the prevention of cardiovascular disease: A systematic review. American Journal of Epidemiology, 172, 501–516.
31.
PiqueroA., DaigleL., GibsonC., PiqueroN., TibbettsS. (2007). Are life-course-persistent offenders at risk for adverse health outcomes?. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 44, 185–207.
32.
PluggeE. H., FosterC. E., YudkinP. L., DouglasN. (2009). Cardiovascular disease risk factors and women prisoners in the UK: The impact of imprisonment. Health Promotion International, 24, 334–343.
33.
RehmJ., GmelG., SeposC. T., TrevisanM. (2003). Alcohol-related morbidity and mortality. Alcohol Research and Health, 27, 39–51.
34.
ShepherdJ., FarringtonD. P., PottsJ. (2004). Impact of antisocial lifestyle on health. Journal of Public Health, 26, 347–352.
35.
SieminskaA., JassemE., KonopaK. (2006). Prisoners’ attitudes towards cigarette smoking and smoking cessation: A questionnaire study in Poland. BMC Public Health, 6, 1–9.
36.
SmithT. (1992). Hostility and health: Current status of a psychosomatic hypothesis. Health Psychology, 11, 139–150.
37.
SuchdayS., TuckerD. L., KrantzD. S. (2002). Diseases of the circulatory system. In BollT. J., JohnsonS. B., PerryN. W.Jr, RozenskyR. H. (Eds.), Handbook of clinical health psychology: Medical disorders and behavioral applications (pp. 203–238). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association.
WangE. A., PletcherM., LinF., VittinghoffE., KerteszS. G., KiefeC. I., Bibbins-DomingoK. (2009). Incarceration, incident hypertension, and access to health care: Findings from the coronary artery risk development in young adults (CARDIA) study. Archives of Internal Medicine, 169, 687–693.
41.
WilperA. P., WoolhandlerS., BoydJ. W., LasserK. E., McCormickD., BorD. H., HimmelsteinD. U. (2009). The health and health care of U.S. prisoners: Results of a nationwide survey. American Journal of Public Health, 99, 666–672.
42.
WolffN., PlemmonsD., VeyseyB., BrandliA. (2002). Release planning for inmates with mental illness compared with those who have other chronic illnesses. Psychiatric Services, 53, 1469–1471.
43.
YoungM., WatersB., FalconerT., O’RourkeP. (2005). Opportunities for health promotion in the Queensland women’s prison system. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 29, 324–327.
44.
ZarkinG. A., CowellA. J., HicksK. A., MillsM. J., BelenkoS., DunlapL. J., KeyesV. (2012). Benefits and costs of substance abuse treatment programs for state prison inmates: Results from a lifetime simulation model. Health Economics, 21, 633–652.
