Study explores why South Asians have higher rates of heart disease

Subodh Verma, cardiovascular surgeon at St. Michael's Hospital, and David Hess, at Schulich Medicine & Dentistry, along with a team of researchers found link explaining why South Asians have a greater risk for cardiometabolic diseases Team led by researchers from Western, St. Michael's Hospital and U of T finds deficient vessel repair a major factor A new study involving researchers at Western University, St. Michael's Hospital and University of Toronto has found that South Asians with either heart disease or diabetes had fewer vascular regenerative and reparative cells compared to white European patients. These findings present a clue as to why South Asians have a greater risk for cardiometabolic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke and diabetes. Research shows that South Asians have a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors and heart disease. People of South Asian ethnicity make up about 25 per cent of the global population, but disproportionately account for more than 50 per cent of cardiovascular deaths worldwide. A recent Canadian study of more than 70,000 heart disease patients found that South Asian patients were younger and had higher rates of coronary artery disease compared to East Asian and white European patients. Other have found that when compared with white European individuals, South Asians are more susceptible to developing Type 2 diabetes, a primary driver of heart disease. The new study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology , suggests that South Asian patients have deficient vessel repair capabilities, which may be contributing to their excess cardiovascular risk, said Dr. Subodh Verma, study co-lead and cardiovascular surgeon at St. Michael's Hospital.