Is the higher risk of cardiovascular disease amongst South Asian populations linked to abnormalities of haemoglobin? A preliminary case control study.

The elevated burden of cardiovascular disease (CVD) amongst South Asian populations is a complex and multi-factorial phenomenon. South Asians evolved from environments where malaria was endemic, and while haemoglobin disorders frequent this group, a link to CVD has not been described. Using a case-control feasibility study, haemoglobin abnormalities identified by mass spectrometry were compared between South Asian patients with CVD (n = 72) and non-CVD controls (n = 84).