Report of a National Heart, Lung, And Blood Institute Workshop: heterogeneity in cardiometabolic risk in Asian Americans In the U.S. Opportunities for research.
The Asian and Pacific Islander population (Asian Americans) in the U.S. has increased dramatically in the last few decades. Yet, data on cardiovascular disease (CVD) in this population are scarce. The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health conducted an Expert Workshop to: 1) assess the importance of studying CVD in Asian Americans in the U.S.; and 2) consider strategic options for further investigations of CVD in this population. There is considerable geographical, ethnic, cultural, and genetic diversity within this population. Limited data also suggest striking differences in the risk of CVD, obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and other CVD risk factors across the Asian-American population. The Asian-American population is a new diverse pool with less contemporary genetic and cultural admixture relative to groups that have lived in the U.S. for generations, plus it is diverse in lifestyle including culture, diet, and family structure. This diversity provides a window of opportunity for research on genes and gene-environment interactions and also to investigate how acculturation/assimilation to U.S. lifestyles affects health and CVD risk among relatively homogenous groups of recent immigrants. Given the heterogeneity in body weight, body size, and CVD risk, the Asian-American population in the U.S. offers a unique model to study the interaction and relationships between visceral adiposity and adipose tissue distribution and beta cell function, insulin resistance, and atherosclerosis.
Narayan
K M Venkat
KM
Hubert Department of Global Health, Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. knaraya@emory.edu
Aviles-Santa
Larissa
L
Oza-Frank
Reena
R
Pandey
Mona
M
Curb
J David
JD
McNeely
Marguerite
M
Araneta
Maria Rosario G
MR
Palaniappan
Latha
L
Rajpathak
Swapnil
S
Barrett-Connor
Elizabeth
E
D000069:Acculturation; D000368:Aged; D001213:Asian / Q000235:genetics; D049628:Body Size; D001835:Body Weight; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D003431:Cross-Cultural Comparison; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D004493:Education; D054242:Emigrants and Immigrants; D044127:Epigenesis, Genetic / Q000235:genetics; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease / Q000235:genetics; D014644:Genetic Variation / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000208:ethnology; D008019:Life Style; D054555:National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (U.S.); D044468:Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander / Q000235:genetics; D009765:Obesity / Q000208:ethnology* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D010679:Philippines / Q000208:ethnology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012931:Social Environment; D014481:United States