Diversity in cardiovascular outcomes among Chinese and South Asian patients.

With combined populations of 2.8 billion people, China and the countries of South Asia, including India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, comprise 40% of the global population of nearly 7 billion people. Immigration to North America from China and South Asia has increased substantially in recent decades. In 2000, people of Chinese descent represented 1.0% of the United States population and those of South Asian descent represented 0.8%. In 2006, the corresponding proportions of the Canadian population were even higher at 4.3% and 4.2%, respectively. With the recent growth of these ethnic groups in North America, their health risks, quality of care, and outcomes have become more important to assess. PMC ID: PMC3169177 (October 19, 2010)