Asian Americans Greater Risk of Developing Heart Disease

A new study done by the American Heart Association (AHA) reveals that Asian Americans, especially those of Indian or Filipino origins, have a great risk of suffering from coronary heart disease compared to other sub-groups.

Japanese and Chinese-Americans are at a lower chance of suffering from the same disease, but they are at a greater risk of suffering from stroke, the research says.

“Available research shows that sub-groups of Asian-Americans are at increased risk of complications and death from cardiovascular disease. Asian-Americans are often studied as a group, which masks the differences within this heterogeneous population,” claimed Dr. Latha Palaniappan, chair of the American Heart Association’s Scientific Advisory on Cardiovascular Disease in Asian Americans.
More research in needed in Asian American cardiovascular diseases but Dr. Palaniappan noted that Asian Americans represents 25 percent of all foreign-born people living in the United States. By 2050, there will be a projected 34 million Asian Americans living in the US.

“Because health surveys and questionnaires almost universally combine persons of Asian ancestry into a single group, the heterogeneity within this classification is masked,” Dr. Palaniappan said.

Major federal surveys have only recently started to classify Asian Americans into seven sub-groups: Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Korean, Japanese, Vietnamese and Other Asian. The first six sub-groups together constitute more than 90 percent of Asian Americans in the U.S., according to the statement.

“Looking at this more closely gives us opportunities to improve health disparities among Asian-Americans,” Dr. Palaniappan said.