"Immigrants may experience dramatic changes in their diet and physical activity after moving to this country," he said. "Given their higher genetic susceptibility, unfavorable changes in lifestyle factors may increase the risk of diabetes."

The findings are of "great interest" but come as "no surprise," said Vivian Fonseca, M.D., vice president of the American Diabetes Association and chief of endocrinology at Tulane University Health Sciences Center.

In general, "Asians get insulin resistance and increased risk of diabetes and heart disease at a much lower level of obesity than Caucasians," he said.

To address the disparity, the American Diabetes Association is planning awareness programs aimed specifically at South Asians. Fonseca said the educational efforts "need to be culturally sensitive, understandable for people who may not be fluent in English."

Source Ethnicity & Disease