New Delhi, April 1 Diets that are not ideal, such as those that are low in whole grains or high in sodium, may have been responsible for over four million deaths worldwide from ischemic heart disease in 2023, according to an analysis.
Ischemic heart disease, also known as coronary artery disease, is a condition in which the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the heart muscle is reduced due to the narrowing of coronary arteries caused by plaque buildup.
Researchers, including those from Massachusetts General Hospital in the US and Kyung Hee University in South Korea, analyzed data from the Global Burden of Disease Study (2023), a comprehensive database of health loss across 204 countries and territories over time.
"In 2023, a suboptimal diet was responsible for 4.06 million deaths from ischemic heart disease (IHD)," the authors wrote in the study published in the journal Nature Medicine.
Compared to 1990, the number of global deaths related to ischemic heart disease increased by 41.59 per cent in 2023, the team found.
However, the age-standardized death rate attributable to dietary risks decreased by nearly 44 per cent between 1990-2023, from 80.62 per 100,000 people to 45.22 per 100,000 people, suggesting population growth and health improvements, they said.
"Among dietary factors, low intake of nuts and seeds (9.87 deaths per 100,000 people), low whole grains (9.22), low fruits (7.25) and high sodium (7.15) were the primary contributors to IHD deaths," they said.
The study identified the portion of ischemic heart disease burden that can be directly modified through food interventions, the team added.
The burden due to ischemic heart disease attributable to sub-optimal diets was found to be particularly pronounced in countries with a low or middle sociodemographic index, which had a prominent burden due to an inadequate intake of protective dietary components.
However, countries with a higher sociodemographic index exhibited a notable trend of burden from ischemic heart disease resulting from excessive consumption of potentially harmful dietary factors, such as processed meats and sugary drinks, the study said.
Individuals aged 65 and above had notably higher death rates, compared to those aged 45 and under.
Further, the authors said that most regions showed a decline in ischemic heart disease burden due to a less-than-optimal diet over time, except Southeast Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania and South Asia.