Curated News
By: NewsRamp Editorial Staff
February 11, 2026
South Asian Adults Face Earlier Heart Disease Risk Despite Healthier Lifestyles
TLDR
- South Asian adults can gain a health advantage by pursuing earlier screening for heart disease risk factors, as they develop them by mid-40s despite healthier lifestyles.
- The study analyzed data from 2,700 adults in the MASALA and MESA studies, finding South Asians had higher rates of prediabetes and high blood pressure by age 45.
- This research highlights the need for tailored prevention and earlier screening to improve cardiovascular health equity for South Asian communities in the U.S.
- South Asian men were nearly eight times more likely to have prediabetes at age 45 than their white peers, despite having better diet quality.
Impact - Why it Matters
This research has profound implications for public health and clinical practice, particularly for the growing South Asian diaspora in the U.S. It challenges the assumption that healthy lifestyle choices alone can prevent cardiovascular disease, revealing that South Asian adults may require earlier and more aggressive medical screening and intervention. For individuals of South Asian descent, this means they should not wait for symptoms to appear but proactively seek blood pressure, glucose/A1c, and cholesterol checks in early adulthood. Healthcare providers must move beyond a one-size-fits-all approach to cardiovascular risk assessment and develop culturally tailored prevention programs. The findings also highlight the need for further research into the genetic, metabolic, and environmental factors driving this disparity, which could lead to better risk prediction models and targeted therapies for high-risk populations worldwide.
Summary
A groundbreaking study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association reveals that South Asian adults in the United States develop risk factors for atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) significantly earlier than their peers from other ethnic backgrounds. The research, analyzing data from the long-running MASALA and MESA studies, found that by age 45, South Asian men were nearly eight times more likely, and South Asian women about three times more likely, to have prediabetes compared to white adults. This earlier accumulation of health conditions, including high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes, occurs despite South Asian adults generally maintaining healthier lifestyle behaviors, such as higher diet quality, lower alcohol use, and comparable exercise levels, as measured by components of the American Heart Association's Life’s Essential 8.
The study's senior author, Dr. Namratha Kandula of Northwestern University, emphasizes that these findings signal an urgent need for earlier screening and tailored prevention strategies for the South Asian community. The research highlights a critical paradox: this population faces disproportionately high risk for heart disease even with positive health behaviors, underscoring that genetic, metabolic, or other biological factors may play a significant role. A 2023 scientific statement from the American Heart Association had previously noted this elevated risk and recommended specific dietary modifications, such as increasing whole-grain intake and selecting cooking oils lower in saturated fat.
The analysis examined health data for 2,700 adults aged 45–55, comparing South Asian participants—who traced their ancestry to Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, or Sri Lanka—with white, Black, Hispanic, and Chinese adults. Key findings show that at age 55, both South Asian men and women were at least twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as white adults. The study acknowledges limitations, including reliance on self-reported data and participants with generally higher educational and socioeconomic status, which may affect generalizability. Nevertheless, the compelling evidence points to the necessity of proactive healthcare approaches to mitigate heart disease risk in this vulnerable population.
Source Statement
This curated news summary relied on content disributed by NewMediaWire. Read the original source here, South Asian Adults Face Earlier Heart Disease Risk Despite Healthier Lifestyles
