Ethnicity Key Factor in Determining Cardiovascular Risk Profile

New Data From Most Comprehensive Comparison of Cardiovascular Risk Profiles Across Four Largest Racial-Ethnic Groups

BEIJING, June 17, 2010 - Racial-ethnic groups living in a similar environment and with access to
universal healthcare differed strikingly in their cardiovascular risk
profiles according to new data presented today at the World Congress of
Cardiology (WCC) Scientific Sessions in Beijing, China.

Chinese people have the most favorable cardiovascular risk profile,
followed by White, South Asians and then Blacks according to the study
presented. Moreover, diabetes occurred earlier in South Asian men and women,
and Black women than in people of White or Chinese origin. A similar
racial-ethnic gradient was observed in the prevalence of heart disease (3.2
per cent in Chinese to a high of 5.2 per cent in South Asians) and stroke
(0.6 per cent in Chinese to a high of 1.7 per cent in South Asians).

"Cardiovascular disease is a global health problem and even though
Chinese, South Asians and Blacks represent approximately 60 per cent of the
world's population and contribute significantly to the global burden of this
disease, most of our knowledge about cardiovascular risk is derived from
White populations," said Maria Chiu, Doctoral Research Fellow, Institute for
Clinical Evaluation Sciences, Toronto, Canada. "The data generated by our
study will be invaluable for designing evidence-based prevention programs and
for planning health services in an increasingly multi-ethnic world."

The population-based study compared cardiovascular risk factors and
diseases of some 163,797 participants (154,653 White, 3,038 Chinese, 3,364
South Asian, 2,742 Black) in Statistics Canada's National Population Health
Survey and Canadian Community Health Surveys between 1996 and 2007. Direct
age-sex standardized methods were used to estimate ethnic-specific prevalence
of eight cardiovascular risk factors, heart disease and stroke.

About the World Congress of Cardiology

The World Congress of Cardiology Scientific Sessions is the official
congress of the World Heart Federation and is held every two years. Through
the Congress the World Heart Federation offers an international stage for the
latest developments in science and public outreach in the field of
cardiovascular health. The World Congress of Cardiology places emphasis on
the complementary nature of science and public outreach and strives to spread
the message that through individual, community and patient-care
interventions, the growing epidemic of cardiovascular diseases can be
prevented. www.worldcardiocongress.org

About the World Heart Federation

The World Heart Federation is dedicated to leading the global fight
against heart disease and stroke with a focus on low- and middle-income
countries via a united community of more than 200 member organizations. With
its members, the World Heart Federation works to build global commitment to
addressing cardiovascular health at the policy level, generates and exchanges
ideas, shares best practice, advances scientific knowledge and promotes
knowledge transfer to tackle cardiovascular disease - the world's number one
killer. It is a growing membership organization that brings together the
strength of medical societies and heart foundations from more than 100
countries. Through our collective efforts we can help people all over the
world to lead longer and better heart-healthy lives. For more information,
please visit www.worldheart.org

WCC Press Office, +86-187-0162-8417, wccpress at asia.cmpmedica.com