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

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.