Black heart patients in the US are suffering worse symptoms and quality of life than white patients, a survey suggests.

This may be related to research which shows they are less likely to receive operations such as bypasses and angioplasty which could help them.

The researchers, from Duke University Medical Center, say this is the first time that a direct link between quality of life - and quality of treatment has been identified in this community.

In fact, the scale of their symptoms was above and beyond what might be expected if the difference was explained solely by their poor treatment.

UK experts say there are groups in this country - particularly south Asians - who are also less likely to be offered appropriate treatment by cardiologists.

The US researchers looked at 1,392 white patients, and 242 African-American patients, all of whom had been diagnosed with heart disease between 1998 and 2001.

All were given a questionnaire on their symptoms and quality of life to complete, and another six months later.

At the time of diagnosis, both groups had similar symptoms.

However, only 60% of the African-Americans received either a bypass operation or angioplasty, compared to 72% of the white patients.

Worse off

Six months later, the African-American group was reporting worse symptoms, and quality of life, than the white group.

Duke University cardiologist Dr Eric Peterson, who was involved in the study, said: "While there have been past studies looking at the differences in health care delivery between African-Americans and whites, this is the first to actually measure how having heart disease impacts on everyday life.

"The fact that African-Americans report that their symptoms and functional outcomes are worse is a very important finding.

"What is more difficult is understanding exactly why."

In the UK, a recent study suggested that south Asians with heart disease were less likely to get the same treatment as white patients.

Later treatment

Professor Mark Johnson, who lectures in diversity in health and social care at De Montfort University in Leicester, said there was clear evidence that certain groups had worse access to certain operations.

He said: "It is possible that these patients are presenting later with more advanced disease.

"It could be that patients from ethnic minorities are having more difficulty explaining their symptoms to the doctor - things are getting lost in the translation."

Qaim Zaidi, ethnic strategy co-ordinator at the British Heart Foundation, told BBC News Online, said that there was a need for better translation and advocacy services for some patients.

He said: "We need more translators, and doctors have to make use of those that exist, instead of relying on family members, who are not clinically trained, so may not be able to explain conditions properly."

The British Heart Foundation is working to develop new leaflets and videos in ethnic minority languages such as Urdu and Punjabi.