Monday 29 August 2016

Cardiovascular (CV) disease is the leading cause of death in New Zealand (NZ). Overall mortality from coronary artery disease has decreased but disparities in outcomes between ethnic groups remain, with NZ Maori and Pacific-Islanders typically presenting with acute coronary syndromes (ACS) at a younger age. For all studied ethnic groups, CV risk factor profiles and clinical presentations of people experiencing ACS are known to vary with age. We aimed to explore age and ethnicity related differences in CV risk factors in a large, contemporary multi-ethnic cohort of New Zealanders presenting with first-time ACS.