Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors and Diabetes in Asian Indians Residing in Michigan

Abstract

Asian Indians are the largest Asian subgroup in the state of Michigan; however, data on the prevalence and correlates of cardiovascular disease for this group is limited. The sample consisted of 273 Asian Indians (AI) recruited through health fairs for surveys and blood tests throughout the state of Michigan. The prevalence of self-reported diabetes (20.1%) and elevated/abnormal glycated hemoglobin A1C levels (22.6%) exceeds the percentages of other ethnic groups reported in 2006-2008 Michigan Behavioral Risk Factor Survey. More than half of respondents had elevated body max index. The gender disparity in hypertension prevalence (50% for males vs. 19.3% for females) has not been observed in other similar studies and prevalence of male participants with hypertension also is higher than reported in other studies. In the multivariate analysis after adjusting demographic and access to health care factors, the results showed that the prevalence of metabolic syndrome increases among AI female participants but not among AI males. The data highlight the need for developing culturally-tailored interventions to effectively reduce multiple risk factors in this group.

Comparing Type 2 Diabetes, Prediabetes, and Their Associated Risk Factors in Asian Indians in India and in the U.S.: The CARRS and MASALA Studies

“…Therefore, the high prevalence of diabetes in one urban Indian city as reported in this study may be indicative of an even larger burden of disease in India yet to come. Furthermore, the diabetes prevalence in MASALA study participants was similar to what was found in a recently published study of Asian Indians in Michigan ( 27 ). However, additional national level data are needed to assess the prevalence of diabetes among Asian Indians living in the U.S.…”

Sociodemographic Correlates of Dietary Practices among Asian-Americans: Results from the California Health Interview Survey

“…Though most Chinese and South Asians in the study met the 5-a-day requirement, such results highlight potentially at-risk and overlooked groups. These results have significant implications to public health, as South Asians not only are the fastest growing population in the USA [42] but also have one of the highest rates of cardiovascular diseases [8,[43][44][45][46][47][48][49]. Such results are also consistent with previous literature [50] demonstrating that socioeconomic advantage was associated with better cardiovascular health among South Asians in other nations.…”

Type 2 Diabetes Risk among Asian Indians in the US: A Pilot Study

“…The analysis of BMI revealed that most of the women in this study were overweight and the men were obese. Asian Indians generally exhibit lower Body Mass Index and waist circumference and tend to accumulate intra-abdominal visceral fat when compared to Caucasians [12]. Studies report that BMI and waist circumference serve as parameters to estimate general or abdominal fat masses, respectively.…”

“…A recent research study focusing on Asian Indians from the state of Michigan found a high prevalence of self-reported type 2 diabetes (20.1%) and elevated/abnormal A1C levels (A1C ≥ 6.5%: 22.6%). It exceeded the percentages of other ethnic groups reported in the 2006–2008 Michigan Behavioral Risk Factor Survey (MBRFS) (8% for non-Hispanic whites, 13% for non-Hispanic blacks, 8.9% for Hispanic Latinos, and 15.6% for Native American/Alaskan natives) [12]. …”

“…Cultural beliefs and practices vary from state to state in India and include dialect and religion as well as dietary habits (strict vegetarian versus nonvegetarian) [12]. The present study focused on Asian Indians from the Kerala state of India and living in the US.…”