Lay summary
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of premature mortality among Pacific peoples in Aotearoa New Zealand compared with the general population. However, their unique risk profiles and biomarker patterns remain under-researched and statistically underpowered. Diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers such as NT-proBNP and cardiac troponins are widely used in clinical practice, yet their relevance for Pacific populations must be confirmed. The Pasifika Heart Study, the first community-based CVD risk study of 200 Pacific adults in Christchurch, found that Pacific participants had two-fold lower NT-proBNP levels compared with Europeans. Investigations are now underway into cardiac troponins and GDF-15. Building on these insights, this proposal aims to recruit an additional 400 Pacific adults (aged 18–65 years) across four sites—Christchurch, Otago/Southland, South Auckland, and Northland—to establish a national Pacific CVD biorepository. This resource will both validate existing clinical biomarkers and enable new biomarker discovery to improve risk prediction and care for Pacific peoples.