The Burden of Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease in South Asians Residing in Canada: A Reflection From the South Asian Heart Alliance

Abstract

South Asians (SAs), originating from the Indian subcontinent (India,

Bringing Intersectionality to Cardiovascular Health Research in Canada

“…About 90% of the risk of myocardial infarction comes from the 9 risk factors that are closely linked to our health behaviours, 9 and a wide range of factors influence health services usage. 10 For instance, older women with heart failure living in rural areas are less likely to follow self-care recommendations 11 ; South-Asian immigrants have both an increased prevalence and an increased death rate from coronary artery disease 12 ; and Black lesbian women tend to have a higher prevalence of cardiometabolic risk factors. 13 …”

Addressing atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease risk in South Asians: A daunting task ahead

“…Emerging, or novel risk factors, are often cited as a cause for the excess ASCVD risk in SA [5]. These include but are not limited to, inflammation, genetics, pro-thrombotic tendencies, and altered adipokines.…”

“…SA populations in the United States have been shown to be more sedentary compared to white Caucasians, and to have potentially more atherogenic diets [2,5]. While lifestyle interventions clearly work in SA to reduce diabetes risk [11], it is unclear if these interventions are equally effective in SA and white Caucasians to reduce ASCVD risk.…”

“…In a country such as the United States, it is feasible that SA populations might have reduced access and availability of critical health services, although research in this area is quite limited. However, SA in Canada, which has a truly universal healthcare system, have also been shown to face an excess ASCVD risk [5].…”

“…In the United States (US), SA number approximately five million, and represent one of the fastest growing visible minorities [4]. A number of retrospective analyses have revealed diverging data regarding the incidence and prognosis of ASCVD in SA residing in the US or Canada, where SA make up an even greater percentage of the population [5]. Part of the confusion lies in the fact that South Asians are often grouped together with other Asians for the purposes of recording demographics.…”