Immigrants more prone to heart disease: study

"The stressful process of settling down in a new country may be putting Canadian immigrants at risk for health problems down the road, according to a new study to be presented today at the Canadian Cardiovascular Congress. While many immigrants move to Canada with healthy hearts, the study revealed the longer they remain in the country, the worse their cardiovascular health becomes. Surpassing risk levels of other people of the same ethnic backgrounds born in Canada, immigrants become more prone to heart disease - which can lead to premature death. 'Most times, when people move to a new country, especially coming to Canada, they're coming for an improvement in their life,' said Dr. Scott Lear, lead author of the study and kinesiologist at Simon Fraser University in Vancouver. '(Yet) the 'healthy immigrant effect' that we know fades over time'" - Canoe