Science
South Asians almost twice as likely to develop coronary heart disease than White Europeans
Published:
5 June 2024
Published:
5 June 2024
South Asians are almost twice as likely to develop coronary heart disease (CHD) than White Europeans, according to new research presented today at the British Cardiovascular Society conference in Manchester.
In the largest forward-looking study among UK South Asians, South Asian men were found to have an almost two-fold higher risk of CHD compared to White European men. Over the 20 year follow-up, the incidence of CHD in South Asian women was similar to that of European men.
CHD is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. It occurs when arteries become narrowed from fatty tissue build-up, which grows and hardens into a plaque. These plaques can then break off to form a blood clot, reducing blood flow to the heart, which can result in a heart attack.
Previous research has suggested that people from South Asian backgrounds are at greater risk of CHD, however these studies have been relatively small, and looked at data over a short period without follow-up.
Understanding drivers of risk
Dr Angad Kooner presented the preliminary findings of the longest and largest study of its kind to assess how CHD risk is related to sex differences and South Asian ethnicity. The team led by Professor Jaspal Singh Kooner at Imperial College London analysed data from the BHF-supported LOLIPOP (London Life sciences Population) study, which has tracked health data from over 17,600 South Asians aged 35-75 for over 20 years.
Current research suggests that South Asians are at higher risk due to increased prevalence of external risk factors, such as higher rates of type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol and lower physical activity levels. The team found that even when these risk factors were accounted for, overall South Asians still had a 1.7-fold higher risk of developing CHD.
They then separated participants by age and found that South Asians had an almost two-fold greater risk across every age group, despite adjusting for risk factors. Overall, South Asian men had the highest risk while White European women were at lowest risk. The team also found that South Asian women had a similar risk to White European men.
"More needs to be done"
Next, the researchers aim to gain a better understanding of what drives this increased risk by discovering new underlying pathways.
Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, our associate medical director and consultant cardiologist said: “Coronary heart disease is the is the world’s biggest killer for both men and women, and is the most common cause of premature death in the UK. It is more prevalent in men, with women typically developing the condition around ten years later.
"This large study lays bare that those from South Asian backgrounds are at much higher risk of coronary heart disease, revealing that South Asian women are at as high a risk as White European men. It is incredibly important that we continue to find research that better helps us understand the underlying reasons why South Asians are at higher risk to enable better prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease”
Dr Angad Kooner, clinical research fellow at Imperial College London, said: “We have made an incredibly important step towards understanding inequalities. We hope that our work will make clinicians more aware of the increased cardiovascular risk of the South Asian community.
“More research still needs to be done to better understand the factors driving this increased risk. It is crucial that everyone has the same chance of accessing the care they need when they need it the most.”