Ethnicity and cardiovascular disease prevention: practical clinical considerations

Globally, cardiovascular diseases are the major cause of morbidity and mortality. They differ in incidence and prevalence between ethnic groups both within and between countries. Traditional risk factors are increasing in many countries undergoing a transition to a more western style of life, but, as the risk factors were identified in western populations, it is important to establish the reasons for differences between different ethnic groups and the relative roles of lifestyle and genetics. In many developed countries, disparities exist between ethnic groups in uptake of cardiological interventions and the relative roles of ethnicity and socioeconomic status need to be determined to address these inequalities.

The role of conventional risk factors throughout the world has been confirmed by recent research such as INTERHEART; however, the relative importance of factors may differ between different ethnic groups. Much work has addressed the calculation of coronary and cardiovascular risk, particularly to take account of the underestimation of risk in particular groups such as South Asians in the United Kingdom.

Research needs to move on from descriptive analyses of disparities in healthcare and risk factors to focus on evaluating interventions to address these disparities.