Have a family history of heart disease? It indicates greater risk of heart attack for South Asians

As people of South Asian descent, if your family has a history of coronary heart disease, you are more likely to have high levels of calcium build-up in your arteries — an indicator of higher risk for heart attacks.

A recent research shows that people of South Asian descent with a family history of coronary heart disease are significantly more likely to have high levels of calcium build-up in their arteries — an indicator of higher risk for heart attacks.

The UT Southwestern findings suggested that the family history may be a more important predictor for South Asians than for other ethnic groups. Therefore, a CT scan to check for coronary artery calcium may be an important test for South Asians whose parents, siblings, or children have coronary artery disease, said Cardiologist Dr Parag Joshi.

“The main take-home lesson here is that family history is a meaningful and inexpensive diagnostic indicator for assessing cardiovascular disease risk in South Asians,” said Dr Joshi. Calcium accumulates in the arteries of the heart after plaque builds up and calcifies over time. South Asians in the study with a family history of heart disease were three times more likely to have calcium levels above 300 in the heart’s arteries — a level likely to increase the risk of a serious coronary event to 10%, 15%, or more, he said.

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