Ethnicity and Cardiovascular Disease

Abstract

Globally cardiovascular disease remains the number one cause of death. Yet, on closer inspection there are vast disparities in overall and cardiovascular health when comparing different regions and different ethnic groups. With major ethnic migration occurring on a global scale, it is important to understand how and why ethnic-specific cardiovascular differences occur. Over the past decades, consistent evidence indicate an increased risk for hypertension, cardiovascular disease and stroke in populations of African descent when compared to Europeans – whether residing within Africa, the United States or in other countries. South Asian populations reflect an increased risk for type 2 diabetes and ischemic heart disease, when compared to Europeans. The origins of these differences may be due to genetic, environmental, behavioural or metabolic factors, whereas others may argue that it could be largely explained by socio-economic disparities. Collectively evidence point to a combination of all factors contributing to ethnic-specific differences in cardiovascular disease risk, and a better understanding of these differences is necessary in order to provide validated cardiovascular risk prediction models.