THE RISK OF HOSPITALIZATION FOR ISCHEMIC-HEART-DISEASE AMONG ASIAN-AMERICANS IN NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

To supplement sparse data about ischemic heart disease in Asian Americ ans, hospitalization risk was prospectively examined in a group of Asi an Americans living in Northern California. Analyses used Cox models w ith ischemic heart disease risk traits as covariables. With Whites as the referent category, relative risks by ethnic group were as follows: Chinese, 0.6 (P = .001); Japanese, 1.0 (P = .97); Filipinos, 1.0 (P = .95); South Asians, 3.7 (P < .001); other Asian Americans, 0.8 (P = . 55). Thus, unexplained differences in ischemic heart disease risk exis t among Asian-American ethnic groups, with Chinese Americans at lowest risk and persons of South Asian origin at highest risk.