Blood Cell Health in South Asian and European Adults

Researchers want to understand why people of South Asian descent have significantly higher rates of heart disease compared to people of European descent — even when lifestyle and diet are similar. This study will compare special blood cells called vascular regenerative cells between healthy South Asian and European adults to see if differences in these cells might explain this increased risk.

Previous research found that people of South Asian origin with heart disease or diabetes have fewer or less healthy vascular regenerative cells compared to Europeans with the same conditions. This study wants to find out whether these cell differences exist in healthy South Asian people too, which could reveal an important new reason why South Asian individuals are at higher cardiovascular risk.