Exploring these differences, Dr. Sonia Anand and colleagues studied 553 South Asians and 553 non-South Asians matched by age, sex, discharge date and hospital of admission. The groups were compared in terms of presentation characteristics, cardiac risk factors and in-hospital outcomes.

The authors found that, on average, South Asian patients took longer to present to hospital (3.92 v. 3.08 hours, p= 0.04) and were more likely to have diabetes (43.4% v. 28.2%, p < 0.001) despite having a lower body mass index (25.7 v. 28.0 p = 0.05). However, the authors also found they were less likely to be smokers (29.3% v. 67.8%, p < 0.001) or to have pre-existing cardiovascular disease (49.4% v. 55.0%, p = 0.04). Despite their differences, the 2 groups had similar MI mortality and in-hospital outcomes. The authors recommend public health efforts focused on increasing the awareness of the symptoms of acute MI in South Asian communities as a means to raise awareness.

p. 717 Risk factors, hospital management and outcomes after acute myocardial infarction in South Asian Canadians and matched control subjects
S. Anand et al

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Contact: Dr. Sonia Anand
905-525-9140 x22169
Canadian Medical Association Journal
18-Mar-2002