AUSTRALIA: Heart disease, Diabetes worse among South Asians

. DUNEDIN, New Zealand (Otago Daily Times), September 3, 2008: Indians and Sri Lankans living in Australia have higher rates of diabetes and develop heart disease when they are younger and thinner, a study shows. A study by the Jean Hailes Foundation analysed disease rates among different ethnic groups in Australia and found a concerning trend among South Asians. They developed heart disease at the average age of 52 compared with 55 among Anglo Australians, and at a body mass index (BMI) of 26, compared with 29. They also had more than double the diagnosed diabetes of white Australians. "There are approximately 200,000 Sri Lankans and Indians living in Australia with a high concentration living in Melbourne," said study co-ordinator Sabrina Gupta. "Their risk of heart disease is three to four times higher than Anglo communities and 20 times higher than Japanese communities." © Allied Press Limited 2007.