Among the suggested changes: Instead of grouping Asian Pacific Islanders together, separate them into the appropriate groups for more accurate disease characterization. This is already done in the U.S. Census, according to Palaniappan, but it is not done commonly in hospitals and clinics.

Other recommendations for improving the quality and quantity of data include developing standard Asian-specific measurement tools for things such as acculturation, which indicates how well a certain population has adapted to the U.S. culture, as well as diet.

"In Mexican-Americans and Spanish populations we often use language as a marker as acculturation. We say: Do you speak English at home? This is not such a great marker in Asian populations because English is often taught in the home countries. In India, for example, English is a national language," Palaniappan said. "Giving many Asian-Americans the typical American diet questionnaire does not lead to accurate data collection because these questions do not reflect culturally specific foods."

The committee also recommends that researchers should "over-sample" Asian-Americans in population-based and clinical trials to ensure that they are well-represented.

"We've done an excellent job in researching disparities in other minority groups, but great gaps remain in our knowledge about Asian-Americans," Palaniappan said. "We are making a call to action for national funding organizations that the study of Asian-Americans should be a priority."

SOURCE American Heart Association