AHN opens heart clinic targeting South Asian population
The South Asian population is particularly vulnerable to heart disease, and Allegheny Health Network (AHN) has opened a new clinic that specifically focuses on early detection and treatment of the disease in that community.
The South Asian Heart Clinic will be at the Health and Wellness Pavilions AHN operates in Peters and North Fayette townships, Wexford and at AHN Cardiology in Monroeville. It will be the first heart clinic in Pennsylvania geared to preventing cardiovascular disease and confronting health disparities among residents with a South Asian background.
The need for the clinic is the result of both genetic and lifestyle factors. According to the American Heart Association, South Asians are known to have a higher prevalence of impaired glucose tolerance and type 2 diabetes when compared to white, non-Hispanic populations. And while South Asians make up about a quarter of the world’s population, they account for 60% of the world’s heart disease cases.
According to Dr. Mahati Indaram, one of three cardiologists leading the clinic, “Heart disease remains the leading cause of death globally, and studies consistently demonstrate that people of South Asian descent face a uniquely elevated risk.”
She continued, “South Asians have a heart disease risk that is up to four times higher than the general population and manifests several decades earlier. Moreover, coronary artery disease can go unnoticed for several years, with the initial presentation being a fatal event, such as cardiac arrest. This is why early, thoughtful intervention with a culturally informed care team is critically important.”
South Asia consists of India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Afghanistan, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Maldives. Asian Americans were Allegheny County’s fastest-growing ethnic community between 2010 and 2022. The Pittsburgh region’s South Asian community has seen steady growth over the last 50 years, with Nepali, Bangladeshi and Bhutanese populations settling in the South Hills.
Among the lifestyle factors that could contribute to cardiovascular disease in this population are lower levels of physical activity, diets higher in refined carbohydrates and higher rates of abdominal obesity.
Dr. Anita Radhakrishnan, another cardiologist affiliated with the clinic, explained that “a ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to heart health doesn’t work. Our new center is designed to provide tailored prevention and screening strategies that consider the specific genetic, lifestyle and dietary factors of the South Asian community.”
Genetic testing, lifestyle guidance and nutrition coaching are among the services that will be offered at the clinic.
For more information, call 724-260-7400 or go online to ahn.org.