Asian-Americans Face 'Silent' Heart Disease Threat

Study finds many show no symptoms until they have a heart attack

(HealthDay is the new name for HealthScoutNews.)

MONDAY, June 9, 2003 (HealthDayNews) -- Asian-Americans are at increased risk of "silent" heart disease that may show no symptoms until they suffer a heart attack.

That's the conclusion of a study presented June 9 at the American Heart Association's Second Asia Pacific Scientific Forum in Honolulu.

The condition is called silent myocardial ischemia. It occurs when plaque buildup, or an obstruction, causes heart arteries to narrow and restrict the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart.

Myocardial ischemia usually causes chest pain. But silent myocardial ischemia is usually pain-free.

"Typically, decreased blood flow to the heart causes the characteristic chest pain of angina -- a tip-off that, without intervention, even more serious cardiac problems could result," lead author Dr. Antonio Q. Chan, an adjunct clinical professor of medicine at Stanford University Medical Center, says in a statement.

"But in our study, seven in 10 patients with myocardial ischemia never had chest pain, though many became fatigued easily or short of breath upon exertion. Any Asian-American who complains of shortness of breath after climbing a flight or two of stairs, gets tired easily, or is over age 45, should be examined for the presence of ischemic heart disease," Chan says.

That's especially true if the person has high blood pressure, diabetes or a family history of heart disease.

Specialized tests are used to diagnose silent myocardial ischemia.

The new research included 1,595 Asian and white patients in the Chicago and San Francisco areas. Only 30 percent of the Asian patients diagnosed with myocardial ischemia suffered chest pain, compared with 83 percent of Caucasian patients.

But the Asian-Americans with myocardial ischemia were more likely than whites with the condition to suffer shortness of breath while exercising (63 percent versus 36 percent), fatigue (59 percent versus 22 percent), and heart palpitations or rapid heartbeats (65 percent versus 24 percent).

More information

Here's where you can learn more about heart diseases.

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