A recent study conducted in Ontario has found that different ethnic groups differ in the level of risks of developing cardiovascular diseases. The report suggests that the Chinese, South Asians, whites or blacks who live in Ontario show striking differences in the risk factors associated with cardiovascular ailments in them.

The study appeared in Monday's edition of the Canadian Medical Association Journal.

The research team analyzed around 163,797 people from the four ethnic groups, by comparing them on the basis of risk factors like smoking, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, and physical activity. The study kicked off in 1996 and completed in 2007.

Study authors Maria Chiu and Dr. Jack Tu, of Toronto's Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences said that the differences appeared despite the universal health care system available to all the ethnic groups.

"Awareness of these differences will become increasingly important as ethnic minority groups come to represent a larger proportion of the Canadian population", they wrote.

It was also found that the Chinese people had the lowest risk of developing the disease which came out to be 3.2% while South Asians of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi or Sri Lankan basis had the highest risk level which was reported to be 5.2%.