Researchers at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation Research Institute have received a 5-year, $2 million grant from the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities to study Asian Americans' health.

Asian Americans comprise the largest racial/ethnic minority group of patients at the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF). For several years the foundation has reached out to South Asian patients to address health and wellness, including nutrition, fitness and health maintenance. The study will improve the understanding of causes of death in this population, the foundation announced.

Asian Americans are the fastest growing racial/ethnic group in the United States, with a population of more than 14 million, according to the U.S. Census.

The number is projected to reach nearly 34 million by 2050. Very little is known about disparities among the Asian American subgroups (Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese), researchers said.

The study is a collaborative effort between the research institute and Stanford University, and will be co-led by Dr. Latha Palaniappan, an associate investigator at the institute, and Dr. Mark Cullen, chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine at Stanford University.

Entitled "The Causes of Asian American Mortality Understood by Socio-Economic Status (CAUSES)," the research will examine differences in mortality among Asian Americans by place of birth, and compare them to other racial/ethnic groups, such as non-Hispanic whites, African Americans and Hispanics. The study will consider various social and environmental factors.

"Most studies examining disparities in health do not separate underlying racial or ethnic and socioeconomic factors," said Hal Luft, research institute director.

The information is hoped to aid treatment and prevention within the diverse Asian American subgroups.