A new analysis highlights significant differences in cardiovascular disease risk among various Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander subgroups, underscoring the importance of targeted health interventions.
Asian American, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander (AANHPI) populations exhibit marked differences in cardiovascular disease risk, according to preliminary findings presented at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2025.
The study, known as the PANACHE (Pacific Islander, Native Hawaiian and Asian American Cardiovascular Health Epidemiology) study, analyzed health records spanning a decade, from 2012 to 2022, of approximately 700,000 adults in California and Hawaii. The participants self-identified across multiple ethnicities, including Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, South Asian and other Southeast Asian groups.
High blood pressure prevalence, for instance, ranged from 12% among Chinese adults to 30% in Filipino adults. Similarly, obesity was found in 41% of Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adults compared to 11% in Vietnamese adults.
“Historically, Asian American, Native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander populations have frequently been grouped together as a single, homogenous racial and ethnic group in clinical and epidemiologic research, which masks important variations in both risk factor prevalence and disease burden,” lead author Rishi V. Parikh, a senior research analyst at the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research, said in a news release. “Despite being the fastest growing population in the U.S., existing studies about Asian subgroups remain limited by inadequate sample size and exclusion of some major disaggregated subgroups, as well as a lack of long-term follow up.”
Using the American Heart Association’s PREVENT risk calculator, the researchers found varied 10-year predicted risk for cardiovascular events, with Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander adults showing the highest risk. Filipino, South Asian and other Southeast Asian groups also displayed elevated risks compared to non-Hispanic white adults.
Additional analyses revealed a higher prevalence of Type 2 diabetes and high cholesterol across all AANHPI subgroups in comparison to non-Hispanic white adults. These findings are consistent with prior research, which has indicated that Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander adults face heightened cardiovascular disease mortality rates compared to their non-Hispanic white counterparts.
Co-author Alan S. Go, an associate director of the Kaiser Permanente Northern California Division of Research (Cardiovascular and Metabolic Conditions Research), emphasized the clinical implications of the study.
“At the individual patient level, our findings along with previous work suggest that regular monitoring of risk factors like blood pressure and cholesterol may be helpful for early detection of increased risk and prevention of cardiovascular disease among Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander populations,” he said in the news release.
Looking forward, Go highlighted the next steps for PANACHE.
“A next step for the PANACHE study will be a population-based survey to describe risk factors not routinely available in the electronic health record (such as immigration history, generational status, employment history, other social determinants of health, experiences of discrimination, acculturation, diet, physical activity, and access to health care services and other resources) that may be unique to each subgroup and how they may influence the risk of cardiovascular disease,” he added. “These additional data will help us understand sources of health disparities and inform tailored cardiovascular prevention strategies for AANHPI individuals, both in the clinic and in the community.”
Despite its strengths, the study has limitations, including potential underrepresentation of adults without health insurance or those who face barriers to health care access. Nevertheless, the research underscores the need for disaggregated health data to effectively address the unique health challenges faced by diverse populations.
“While cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death for all Americans, understanding differences among specific population groups can identify gaps in monitoring and management of risk factors, such as obesity, hypertension and Type 2 diabetes,” added Sadiya S. Khan, the Magerstadt Professor of Cardiovascular Epidemiology and an associate professor of medicine and preventive medicine at the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a preventive cardiologist at Northwestern Medicine, who was not involved in the study.
These findings point towards a more nuanced approach in health care, one that acknowledges and addresses the diverse realities of AANHPI communities to better manage and prevent cardiovascular diseases. The PANACHE study’s preliminary results pave the way for future research and targeted health interventions that can save lives and improve public health outcomes.
Source: American Heart Association