A Portland State University (PSU) study suggests that the longer Asian immigrants live in North America, the more likely they are to develop high blood pressure.

Fatty diets and lack of exercise are contributing to the trend, according to the study conducted by a professor at PSU.

The study found that recent immigrants from Asian countries who settled in Canada had lower rates of high blood pressure than the general population. With time, however, their rates of high blood pressure equaled or surpassed that of the general population. High blood pressure is an important measure of health because it is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease and stroke.

Asians living in Canada for three years or less had hypertension rates of below 3 percent, compared to about 10 percent of the population aged 20 and older. After five years, more than 7 percent of the immigrants had hypertension; after 10 or more years, the same was true for 13 percent of the population. Researchers controlled for age, sex, education, smoking, drinking and access to health care.

Meanwhile, another study by KSCI-TV in Los Angeles, Calif., corroborates the findings of the PSU study; KSCI found that more than 20 percent of Asian respondents in Southern California reported having at least one household member who suffers from high blood pressure.

The KSCI-TV study indicates that more Asians in Southern California are also turning to fast food for snacks and meals. Nearly 60 percent of Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese respondents said that they dine on fast food meals at least once a week. In 2002, 39 percent of Chinese and 36 percent of Koreans reported eating fast food meals several times a week or more, compared to 32 percent and 30 percent respectively in 2000.

Fast food chains may be hip to the Asian market, but the healthcare industry is lagging, according to Asia Link, a consulting and research firm. Asia Link points out that healthcare issues distinguish Asian Americans as key potential consumers for healthcare providers.

According to Asia Link, Asian Americans have higher rates of certain health risks, such as stroke, which is the third leading cause of death for Chinese, Japanese and Filipino Americans.

"Awareness and knowledge of these integral healthcare facts provide business opportunities for anyone in the healthcare industry interested in reaching the Asian market," said Wanla Cheng, a principal of Asia Link.

There exists a lack of resource knowledge among Asians regarding healthcare, and they tend to underutilize available healthcare systems, according to Asia Link. But research has shown that Asians respond to in-language marketing; first generation immigrants have a clear preference for in-language media and communication and are easy to target via ethnic newspapers, radio and television, Cheng noted.