Coronary heart disease risks in Asian Indians

An increased prevalence of coronary hear; disease in Asian Indians both from the native country and the immigrant population has been known for some time, With around 15 000 000 Asian Indians living outside India, including 1 500 000 in the UK and 1 000 000 in the US, various pathogenic factors have attracted great interest in the recent past, Prevention strategies have been recommended based on these findings. insulin resistance, central obesity and lipid abnormalties such as high triglyceride levels, low HDL levels and high lipoprotein(a) levels have been documented, This predisposition to accelerated atherosclerosis is genetically determined but is being enhanced by change in lifestyle, or 'westernization'. An increased prevalence oi coronary heart disease because of these changes in lifestyle is seen in India itself where differences are found between urban and rural populations, this tendency seems to he noticed early in life, and hence the need for early prevention strategies are discussed.