South Asian Ancestry, Cardiovascular Disease, and the MASALA Study

Studies dating back to the late 1950s have shown that people with South Asian ancestry have higher cardiovascular disease risk compared with other racial and ethnic groups, and the heightened risks have been observed in the US over the past 2 decades. To better understand why, in 2010 two Indian American internists, Alka Kanaya, MD, and Namratha Kandula, MD, MPH, launched the Mediators of Atherosclerosis in South Asians Living in America, or MASALA, prospective cohort study. Drs Kanaya and Kandula spoke with JAMA Medical News Associate Managing Editor Jennifer Abbasi about cardiovascular disease and risk factors among people of South Asian descent. Related Content: MASALA Study Probes Why People With South Asian Ancestry Have Increased Cardiovascular Disease Risks