South Asians are at four times greater risk of developing heart disease, reports the American Bazaar.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, South Asians make up 60% of all heart disease cases worldwide. In the United States, that’s lead to increase attention to the risks.
“It’s part of my genetics, for sure,” said Sharad Acharya, a Nepali American from Colorado who underwent triple bypass surgery.
Scroll reports South Asians in the United States are more likely to die of heart disease than any other group.
“Nobody really understands what’s going on here,” said Namratha Kandula, a doctor and researcher at Northwestern University, Illinois.
The usual advise is to eat less meat. “If you say, ‘I’m a vegetarian,’ doctors don’t even know what to say next,” she said.
Health experts don’t know what causes the disproportional impact of heart disease on South Asians, but the focus has been on genetics, diet, and socio-cultural factors.
Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) sponsored legislation to allocate $5 million over the next five years for research of heart disease among South Asian Americans. It passed the House in September of 2020, but no further action has been taken since despite the modest amount of money requested.
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