Heart Disease among Indians in UK
- Indians, Pakistanis and Bangladeshis differ in a wide range of coronary risk factors and disease rates and combining their data is misleading.
- There are differences in social and economic circumstances, lifestyles, anthropometric measures, and disease both between Europeans and South Asians and among the South Asian subgroups. Bangladeshis and Pakistanis are the poorest groups.1
- South Asians are disadvantaged in comparison with Europids.1, 2 Among South Asians, Indians were least and Bangladeshis most disadvantaged in a range of coronary risk factors in the UK.1, 2 The differences in standardized mortality rates among Indians and other South Asians are given in Figure 028.
- In general, the Asian Indians had lower incomes, though they were more educated than, the white participants.3
- It is accepted that Indians residing in the UK are more likely to be categorized as middle class than Bangladeshis or Pakistanis.3
- Over the past 30 years, the CAD mortality rates have declined in the UK, but the decline was similar among Asian Indian men, but slower among Asian Indian women.4 As a result, CAD mortality difference remained the same in Asian Indian men, but increased in Asian Indian women.4
- Currently, the mortality rates among Indians is 45% higher among men and 90% higher among women compared to their Europid counterparts.5 This trend may be applicable to first and second generation born in the UK.
Sources
1. Bhopal R, Unwin N, White M, et al. Heterogeneity of coronary heart disease risk factors in Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and European origin populations: cross sectional study. BMJ. 1999;319(7204):215-220.
2. Bhopal RS. Heterogeneity among Indians, Pakistanis, and Bangladeshis is key to racial inequities. Bmj. 2002;325(7369):903.
3. Hemingway H, Crook AM, Feder G, et al. Underuse of coronary revascularization procedures in patients considered appropriate candidates for revascularization. N Engl J Med. 2001;344(9):645-654.
4. Harding S, Rosato M, Teyhan A. Trends for coronary heart disease and stroke mortality among migrants in England and Wales, 1979-2003: slow declines notable for some groups. Heart (British Cardiac Society). Apr 2008;94(4):463-470.
5. www.heartstats.org. CHD Statistics. mortality. 2010. Accessed January 25,2011.