Epidemiology of cardiovascular disease in Asian women.

This article presents data on CVD and risk factors in Asian women. Data were obtained from available cohort studies and statistics for mortality from the World Health Organization. CVD is becoming an important public health problem among Asian women. There are high rates of CHD mortality in Indian and Central Asian women; rates are low in southeast and east Asia. Chinese and Indian women have very high rates and mortality from stroke; stroke is also high in central Asian and Japanese women. Hypertension and type 2 DM are as prevalent as in western women, but rates of obesity and smoking are less common. Lifestyle interventions aimed at prevention are needed in all areas.