Introduction
Approximately 4.2 million people (7.5% of population), whose racial origins are from South Asia, live in the UK. High rates of coronary disease in Asians,1-4 seem likely to be influenced by genetic factors.5 We have previously reported differences in the presentation of coronary syndromes between British South Asians, as a whole, and white Europeans.6
The term ‘South Asian’ describes around 1.5 billion people (22.5% of the world’s population), occupying regions as diverse as Sri Lanka to Nepal. A wide variety of genotypes, cultures, diets, belief systems, educational attainment, socioeconomic status and risk factors are enc