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Studies have found links between being unemployed, uninsured, or having no education beyond high school, lack of proper sleep, and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
A study of Asian Americans, including Asian Indian adults, published in the Journal of the American Heart Association found that the relationship between these social determinants adverse health variables, and cardiovascular disease risk factors varied among different subgroups.
However, the team researchers stated that the association does not mean that the social determinants of health are directly caused by the risk factors.
For reference, the group included data on 6,395 adults who self-identified as Asian. Of these, 22 percent were Asian Indian adults.
Asian Indian adults reported a 20 percent chance of suboptimal sleep and a 42 percent increase in the likelihood of physical activity-the main risk factor for heart disease.
The analysis also found that for the entire Asian group, “a more favorable social determinants of health score by one standard unit is associated with a 14 percent increased risk of high blood pressure; 17 percent risk of poor sleep; and a 24 percent greater risk of type 2 diabetes -all increase the risk of developing cardiovascular disease.”
“Many social determinants of health are often interconnected, such as environmental cohesion, economic stability, and health care utilization,” says Eugene Yang, MD, professor of medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle.
People of South Asian heritage have been found to have higher rates of premature heart disease worldwide and higher rates of recent cardiovascular mortality than non-Hispanic whites. “A better understanding of why cardiovascular risk differences exist among Asian subgroups is important to reduce risk and improve outcomes.”
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