Diabetes and CVD in South Asians: A review

The worldwide prevalence of diabetes is expected to rise significandy over the next decade (King et al, 1998) and the biggest impact will be in developing countries. Sedentary lifestyles, urbanisation and increasing obesity have been largely implicated in this rise, but other factors such as migration and increased life expectancy have also been major contributors (Lipscombe and Hux, 2007). The UK has a large South Asian population comprising migrants from Bangladesh, India and Pakistan. The prevalence of diabetes among South Asian adults in the UK is estimated to be approximately 20% compared with 3-4% in Caucasians (Barnett et al, 2006). The purpose of this review is to examine the literature on diabetes and CVD in South Asians and to discuss novel options for improving health care in this high-risk population.