South Asian

Wellness

Why South Asian heart-disease risk is higher in the UK—and why ethnicity is not destiny

South Asian ethnicity is associated with higher coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes risk in the UK, but the causes are multifactorial and many major risk factors are modifiable.

Sara Malik · 21 Oct 2026

Wellness

Vitamin D and South Asian skin in the UK: why NHS advice is different year-round

Melanin reduces the skin's efficiency at making vitamin D from sunlight. In the UK, NHS guidance therefore advises people with dark skin to consider a daily 10 microgram supplement all year.

Sara Malik · 20 Oct 2026

Skin

Skin cancer can happen on brown skin: the signs darker skin should not be taught to ignore

Melanin reduces ultraviolet injury but does not make brown skin immune to skin cancer. Some cancers in darker skin are diagnosed later, when outcomes can be worse.

Nadia Shah · 8 Oct 2026

Wellness

Why type 2 diabetes often appears younger in South Asian families

Diabetes UK says type 2 diabetes is two to four times more likely in South Asian people and risk rises from a younger age. Genetics, visceral fat and social factors interact.

Sara Malik · 5 Oct 2026