South Asian Americans are three to four times more likely to develop and die from heart disease, and at a younger age, than white Americans or other U.S. ethnic groups. UCLA Health, a public healthcare system affiliated with the University of California, Los Angeles has launched a new program providing customized heart health services for the unique needs of people of South Asian descent.

Housed within the Division of Cardiology at the David Geffen School of Medicine, the South Asian Heart Program’s overarching goal is to prevent heart disease in South Asians and other high-risk populations through early diagnosis, proactive treatment, and culturally sensitive care, according to UCLA.

The program offers tailored, long-term health education, focusing on individualized plans to promote lasting cardiovascular well-being. It provides multidisciplinary clinical care by a team of experts specifically designed for patients of South Asian descent, ensuring that care is both comprehensive and culturally competent.

READ: Health tech startup Soma Lab is scaling education and hiring with AI (November 18, 2024)

Additionally, the program emphasizes early diagnosis and risk assessment to detect heart disease at its earliest stages, ultimately aiming to reduce future cardiac risks.

Dave, Director of Interventional Cardiology at UCLA Health, attended Saurashtra University in India and completed his internship and residency at University of Illinois Medical center at Chicago.

He completed his fellowship in Cardiovascular Diseases and Interventional Cardiology at USC Medical Center. He is board certified in Interventional Cardiology and Cardiovascular Disease. Dr. Dave has been in practice at UCLA for over 20 years and has a high volume procedural practice. He has been voted as a Super Doctor every year since 2007.