People from South Asia, like India and Pakistan, are more likely to get heart disease than people with white European backgrounds. A new study found that this might be because South Asians have fewer stem cells, which are special cells that help repair damaged blood vessels.
Researchers from Unity Health Toronto compared the number of stem cells in people of South Asian and white European descent. They discovered that South Asians had lower levels of these important cells.
Dr. Subodh Verma, a heart surgeon who worked on the study, said that it’s important to understand why South Asians are at a higher risk. He noted that younger South Asians are developing heart disease earlier in life compared to other groups.
South Asians make up about 25% of the world’s population, and they have double the risk of getting heart disease compared to white Europeans. They also tend to have heart problems at younger ages.
While this study suggests a new way to understand the difference in heart disease risk, some experts say that the high number of participants with diabetes might have affected the results. More research is needed to confirm the findings in people without diabetes.
The study shows how important it is to look into the biological reasons behind health differences between groups. It also highlights the need for specific actions to lower the risk of heart disease in high-risk populations like South Asians.
See “Stem cell study offers clue to South Asians’ increased risk of cardiovascular disease” by Elaine Chen on the STAT News website (February 12, 2024)
