(Chicago, IL: December 7, 2015): Asian Indians around the world have one of the highest rates of coronary artery disease (CAD) and diabetes mellitus (DM). According to a Diabetes among Indian Americans (DIA) Study by the University of West Virginia, when compared to Whites, Blacks, Hispanics and other Asians, the CAD rates among Asian Indians worldwide are 2-4 times higher at all ages and 5-10 times higher in those < 40 years of age. Coronary artery disease has reached epidemic proportions.
American Association of Physicians of Indian Origin (AAPI) has launched educational networks of renowned thought leaders in the areas of Cardiology, Diabetes, and Stroke to foster education of AAPI physicians in these important areas which heavily impact the Asian Indian community and the US as a whole.
“While these networks educate AAPI member physicians on cutting edge disease topics and cutting edge intervention through this work during Global Healthcare Summit (GHS) 2016, AAPI is excited to showcase the full heights that Asian Indian physicians have reached, elevate educational quality, stimulate the AAPI general physician members, bring further recognition to these renowned physicians, and inspire our young physicians-in-training,” said Dr. Seema Jain, President of AAPI.
For the first time ever, the Webinar streamed live from New Delhi will allow Physicians to watch sessions live from across the world, Dr. Jain informed. In order to view the web stream live, participants need to visit: www.docmode.org/aapi. After you register, one will have to click “watch Live” and will be led to the page where one will have access to live streaming of all educational sessions that are available online, she added.
The groundbreaking Summit organized by AAPI is featuring special Workshops on Lifestyle Diseases: Diabetes & Cardiology. The workshop on Diabetes will be addressed by world renowned specialists on Diabetes, including, Drs. Sheshank Joshi, Nikhil Tandon, Sunder Mudaliar, V. Madhu, Sumit Bhagra, and Molly Chaterjee.
The Cardiology Update Plenary Session is being moderated by Dr. Parminder Grewal. Panelists include, Drs. Sandeep Mishra, Rachna Kulkarni, Jagat Narula, H,K. Chopra, Navina Nanda, Samin Sharma, Brahma Sharma, and Ashok Seth.
India, with more than 1.2 billion people, is estimated to account for 60 per cent of heart disease patients worldwide. According to the World Health Organization, heart related disorders will kill almost 20 million people by 2015, and they are exceptionally prevalent in the sub-Indian continent. Half of all heart attacks in this population occur under the age of 50 years and 25 percent under the age of 40. It is estimated that India will have over 1.6 million strokes per year by 2015, resulting in disabilities on one third of them. Although there is some level of awareness regarding smoking, dietary habits and diabetes, somehow there is no massive intervention on a national level either by the government or by the physicians.
While coronary artery disease (CAD) tends to occur earlier in life and in a higher percentage of the population in Asian Indians than in other ethnic groups, it has been found that American Southeast Asian Indians typically develop a heart attack 10 years earlier than other populations. Studies also have found that heart disease among Indians is more severe, diffuse, and more likely to be multi-vessel compared to whites despite their younger age, smoking less, and lower rates of hypertension.
The need appears to be even more urgent among Indian Americans. Although Indians are the highest socioeconomic group in the U.S., and one of the best educated, a recent study found that the hospitalization rate for heart disease among its Indian patients was four times that of its non-Indian patients – this means that the Indians hospitalized – truly needed urgent care, and these are leave main coronary artery disease and three vessel disease are twice as common among Indians as in whites, and even more common among Indian women.
The speakers at both the sessions will provide diverse perspectives on Diabetes and Cardiovascular Diseases and how they impact people, and ways to prevent them, particularly with focus on Indians and Indian Americans.
“AAPI has a mandate to help disseminate our medical knowledge, our expertise and technological advances to the rest of the world, and to India in particular,” says Dr. Ajay Lodha, president-elect of AAPI. The Global Healthcare Summit 2016 is being held at the ITC Maurya Hotel from January 1st to 3rd, 2016.
Dr. Seema Jain appealed to “all of you, AAPI members, well-wishers, friends and colleagues to join this effort and help ensure that we are putting in solid effort towards making quality healthcare affordable and accessible to all people of India.” For additional information on AAPI and its Global Healthcare Summit, please visit: www.aapiusa.org; www.
