Cardiovascular Disease and Diabetes

South Asians (people from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Maldives and Sri Lanka) have a higher risk of heart and cardiovascular disease than any other ethnic group. There is a need for research in finding effective ways to prevent and treat heart disease in South Asians, who may have different risk factors than other ethnic groups.

South Asian Heart Center

The South Asian Heart Center was founded as a non-profit in 2006 with the mission of reducing the high incidence of diabetes and heart attacks in Indians and South Asians through culturally tailored, science-based, and lifestyle-focused services.  Its revolutionary AIM to Prevent™ program has helped thousands to lower their risk with comprehensive evaluation, expert lifestyle counseling, and personalized health coaching. The new STOP-D program helps stop diabetes before it starts.

Click here to view the South Asian Heart Center's Impact Report of 2019.

DISCOVeR Lab

In support of the Stanford University School of Medicine mission, DISCOVeR Lab, led by Dr. Latha Palaniappan, a physician scientist, conducts research that seeks to investigate racial/ethnic health disparities in cardiometabolic disease risk, burden, screening, treatment, and outcomes in multi-ethnic populations. She, along with collaborators at Stanford and other world-renowned institutions, take what they learn from patient care back to their labs to guide their research projects into new diagnostics and treatments for various illnesses.

DISCOVeR research projects seek to address the gap in knowledge of health and health-related patient-centered outcomes, specifically exploring gender and racial/ethnic disparities in obesity, diabetes, and coronary heart disease. 

Learn more about the STRONG-D Study here and the IMPACT Study here.