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A recent study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association has revealed a concerning association between unemployment, lack of education beyond high school, inadequate health insurance, poor sleep, and heightened risk of cardiovascular disease among Asian Americans, including Asian Indian adults.
While the study underscores the link between these unfavorable social determinants of health variables and cardiovascular disease risk factors, researchers caution that association does not imply direct causation.
The research, conducted on 6,395 Asian adults, including a significant proportion of Asian Indian adults, sheds light on the varying impact of these social determinants across different subgroups.
Among Asian Indian adults, the study found a 20% likelihood of suboptimal sleep and a 42% increased likelihood of insufficient physical activity, both significant risk factors for heart disease.
Furthermore, the analysis revealed that across all Asian groups, a higher score indicating unfavorable social determinants of health correlated with a 14% greater risk of high blood pressure, a 17% greater risk of poor sleep, and a 24% greater risk of Type 2 diabetes — all contributing factors to cardiovascular disease development.
Lead author Eugene Yang, a Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington School of Medicine in Seattle, emphasized the interconnected nature of social determinants of health, including factors like neighborhood cohesion, economic stability, and healthcare system utilization.
“People of South Asian heritage have higher rates of premature heart disease globally, and they recently have been found to have higher cardiovascular mortality than non-Hispanic white people. A better understanding of why differences in cardiovascular risk exist among Asian subgroups is vital to reducing risk and improving outcomes,” noted Yang.
The study underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions and policies aimed at addressing social determinants of health disparities among Asian American communities to mitigate cardiovascular disease risk and improve overall health outcomes.
