I am an avid health enthusiast and a strong proponent of preventive medicine.

However, as a South Asian, I have found such notions of health to be largely unpopular in our community, which is riddled with diseases such as type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

There is a palpable lack of awareness and strong resistance to behavioural change among South Asians.

I realized this firsthand when my grandmother suffered a bilateral infarct two years ago.

While her recovery has been challenging, the rather puzzling part to me was how little had been done to reduce her risk factors, which eventually culminated in her stroke and subsequent heart failure.

My decision to advocate for women’s heart health is largely driven by my interest in understanding what makes women (especially of South Asian origin such as my grandmother) so vulnerable to heart conditions and more importantly, how can we empower such patient populations to become their own caregivers, at a personal and systemic level.