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Sen.Booker introduces legislation to combat heart disease among South Asian Americans
The legislature, if passed, would appropriate US $2 million each year between 2025 and 2029 for grants supporting critical research on heart disease
Representative Image of an electrocardiogram / Image - Unsplash
New Jersey Senator Cory Booker has introduced a bill to establish a grant program to strengthen cardiovascular research, promote heart disease awareness, and improve health outcomes in the South Asian community.
The bill was introduced in honor of American Heart Month observed in February. The legislation, titled the ‘South Asian Heart Health Awareness Act,’ would raise awareness about the alarming rates of heart disease among South Asians across the US.
Heart health among South Asians in the US has been an area of concern for years. Scientists have been long aware that people with ancestry from India, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka face a higher risk for heart disease, which tends to appear among the group earlier in life, according to reports.
As per research, South Asians tend to have higher lipoprotein levels than other ethnic groups, altered vascular endothelial function, and impaired cholesterol transport which contributes to a higher risk of cardiovascular disease.
“Despite the heightened prevalence of cardiovascular diseases among South Asians, their risk for heart disease is not widely understood by the medical community,” Senator Booker said. He added that the bill is an important step toward promoting critical research on heart disease and supporting organizations working to improve heart health for at-risk communities across the country.
The bill would appropriate US $2 million each year between 2025 and 2029 in planning and implementing grants that can be used to develop culturally appropriate materials on topics related to heart health, including nutrition, diet planning, and exercise.
The grants will also support heart health promotion activities in community organizations that work with disproportionately affected communities and support research conferences or workshops on research practices, and designs, which include more members of communities disproportionately affected by heart disease as highlighted in scientific studies.
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