Southeast Asians
Have Highest Risk for Heart Attacks
By Dr. Sattar Abbasi
Pailos Verdes Estates, CA
A few years ago one
of my family members had a heart attack at 50 years
of age. I was shocked, especially because, at least
at the time, there did not appear to be any reason
why he would have a heart attack at such a young
age. But then I learnt that Pakistani and Indians
have more extensive coronary artery disease, at
a much younger age, than people in other parts of
the world.
The incidence is even higher for Southeast Asians
who migrate to Europe or the USA! The reason is
partly genetics and partly due to their lifestyle.
But the good news is that lifestyle changes can
correct or dampen the effect of genes.
So what should we do? First assess your risk for
coronary artery disease. The risk factors which
influence heart disease are:
1. Age over 45 years in males and 55 years in females.
2. High blood pressure greater than 130/80mmHg,
especially higher than 140/85.
3. High bad cholesterol (LDL): greater than 130mg
and low good cholesterol (HDL): less than 40mg.
High triglycerides: more than 150mg.
4. Smoking.
5. Diabetes mellitus
6. Family history of heart disease before age 55
years in males and 65 years in females.
7. Obesity, especially truncal, i.e. waist more
than 38” in males and 36” in females
or abdominal girth more than hips. This is part
of the so-called “metabolic syndrome”
which increases the risk of coronary artery disease.
If you have two or more of the above risk factors,
you have a higher chance of having a heart attack.
But you can decrease the risk by changing your lifestyle.
Of course, we cannot pre-select our parents, but
we can significantly modify the effects of our genes.
How this can be done will be discussed in my next
column.
(Dr. Sattar Abbasi is on the national faculty of
the American Heart Association’s Heart Disease
Prevention Program. He can be contacted at asabbasi@cox.net)
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