Higher risk coronary artery disease among the south Asians.

Here are the statistics that support that there is a high risk among south Asians for the coronary heart disease.

CAD Statistics:

Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) is a Global Epidemic among South Asians

• CAD strikes South Asians at a four-fold rate compared to the general population. This holds true even for lifelong vegetarians who do not smoke and are not overweight.

• 10-12% of the South Asian population in urban areas globally and 4% in rural areas are afflicted with this disease.
CAD strikes South Asians at a Younger Age, almost 33% earlier

• South Asians in the United States and in urban India suffer heart attacks at an earlier age, often without prior symptoms or warning.

• A study among Asian Indian men showed that half of all heart attacks in this population occur under the age of 50 years, and 25% under the age of 40.

CAD strikes South Asians Fatally

• More than 30% of deaths from heart attacks in South Asians occur in those younger than 65 years of age, a rate double that of the U.S. national average.

• British Heart Foundation statistics show that the death rate from coronary heart disease is 46% higher in South Asian men and 51% higher in South Asian women than the UK population as a whole.

CAD is not Just a Disease for South Asian Men

• South Asian women also have one of the highest mortality rates due to CAD. Recent findings from the 1990-2000 California Census data showed that all ethnic minority women were living longer except South Asian women.

California Statistics

• Asian Indians have the highest rates of hospitalization in California for CAD. At El Camino Hospital alone, over the past two years, a significant 5% of the patients that walked into the ER with a heart attack were South Asian, while the South Asian population of the area is just over 3%.

The mission of the South Asian Heart Center at El Camino Hospital is heart disease prevention among South Asians, and save lives, through a comprehensive, culturally-appropriate program incorporating education, advanced screening, lifestyle changes, and case management.