University of Otago (Wellington) Heart Foundation research fellow Dr Pritika Narayan is looking to genetics to understand why Fijian-New Zealanders are at higher risk of having heart attacks or developing angina at a young age.
The study is the first in the world to look for a genetic link to premature coronary artery disease among Fijians and Fijian Indians.
Dr Narayan believed the issue may be caused by a variation in their genetic code, which helped their ancestors survive historical famine events and infectious disease outbreaks.
However, in today’s environment, where food is relatively abundant, it was causing fat to accumulate in their arteries and leading to very premature heart attacks.
"There is a striking inheritance pattern, with grandparent, child, grandchild affected, independent of risk factors such as smoking, obesity and diabetes.
"Some have died in their 20s from undiagnosed cardiac conditions."
Dr Narayan hoped her research would lead to gene-based improvements in screening, diagnosis and treatment options for Fijian-New Zealanders who have a predisposition to developing the disease.
"It will also help Fijian-New Zealanders understand their risk of heart disease, and give them the chance to access potentially life-saving medicines, such as blood pressure-lowering medicines, or statins to reduce their cholesterol levels, before any damage to their heart occurs."
She believed the genetic research could also lead to better care and prevention strategies for other ethnic groups like Melanesians and South Asians, whom Fijians share ancestry with.
