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The health of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) is integral to the well-being of the Nation. The AAPI population is one of the fastest growing minority groups in the United States and was expected to number 12.1 million by the year 2000. Heart disease is the leading cause of death for this group. For example, Asian American males have higher mortality rates due to stroke than white males. Among Asian Indians in the United States, the prevalence of coronary artery disease is 4-fold higher than whites.

In the state of Hawaii, Native Hawaiians have the highest death rates due to heart disease and the second highest rate of obesity in America. Without prevention and intervention strategies, the burden of disease will persist for AAPIs.

To read the rest of this article and see the strategies for prevention and intervention that are proposed by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, please click here: http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/prof/heart/other/aapibkgd/aapibkgd.pdf