Epidemiologic studies targeting primary cardiovascular disease prevention in South Asia.

Abstract

South Asia has experienced a 73% increase in healthy life years lost due to ischemic heart disease between 1990 and 2010. There is a lack of quality data relating to cardiovascular risk factors and disease from this region. Several observational and prospective cohorts in South Asia have been established in recent times to evaluate the burden of cardiovascular disease and their risk factors. The Prospective Rural Urban Epidemiology (PURE) study is the largest of these studies that has provided data on social, environmental, behavioral and biologic risk factors that influence heart disease and diabetes. Some studies have also borrowed data from large datasets to provide meaningful insights. T..