South Asia Biobank: A large scale biomedical research resource to help understand and prevent heart disease, type 2 diabetes & other health challenges in South Asian people
South Asia Biobank
South Asia Biobank is a large scale biomedical database and health resource, containing in depth health and lifestyle information, physical measurements, and biological samples amongst South Asians.
It is a longitudinal study designed to discover reasons underlying the high risk of life threatening conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity amongst South Asians.
Why was this study carried out
Background
Much progress in medical science has been made in the past five decades but this has not provided answers to why people of South Asian origin remain at such high risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and other critical illnesses compared to other populations.
To date, most large-scale studies have largely recruited people of European ancestry. This lack of diversity in research hinders our understanding of reasons why South Asian populations are more susceptible to certain illnesses.
Design
South Asia Biobank is designed to bring together a large scale resource of data and biological samples to address critical questions, such as why South Asian individuals remain at x 2 risk of cardiovascular disease and x 3 risk of type 2 diabetes, compared to European individuals.
Future Benefit
South Asia Biobank is a major world-wide resource for medical researchers to help understand and prevent major diseases amongst people of South Asian ancestry. The more information we can arm ourselves with about serious conditions like heart disease, diabetes and obesity, the more chance we have of preventing disease, finding new treatments and even cures.