A study documents how poor diet affects heart health: keys to preventing diseases

A well-served table does not necessarily imply good health. A new study, which was published in the journal Nature Medicine, showed that poor diet quality was linked to approximately 4.06 million deaths from ischemic heart disease - which can cause heart attack - worldwide during 2023. The research was led by South Korean scientists along with the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington and the Cardiovascular Disease Initiative of the Broad Institute, which depends on the MIT and the University of Harvard, in the United States. They confirmed that when people's diet is low in the consumption of nuts, seeds, whole grains, and fruits, but abundant in sodium, the risk of ischemic heart disease increases significantly. The heart is especially vulnerable when those protective foods are lacking and ultra-processed products predominate in the daily diet. The impact is so great that cardiovascular disease continues to lead as the cause of death globally. The analysis also showed that the damage affects men and women similarly.

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Food and the Heart: A Weighty Link Ischemic heart disease is a condition that occurs when the heart receives less blood than it needs due to the obstruction of the coronary arteries. This problem can lead to an acute myocardial infarction or heart attack. Researchers tried to study the persistence of ischemic heart disease. Although the amount of available food grew, the nutritional quality did not advance as quickly in the world. It was pointed out that there were previous investigations that focused on isolated ingredients or in wealthy countries and left out the majority of the world's population. The team then sought to put concrete figures on the problem and offer tools for each country to design more effective policies. To do this, they analyzed data from more than 200 countries and regions. 13 key dietary factors were studied, and the number of deaths and years of life lost associated with a poor diet were calculated. Thus, the study was able to accurately identify which foods protect the most and which ones raise the risk. This global vision allowed a better understanding of what fails and in what places. A world map of food and heart risk

The team gathered data on food consumption, sales, and health records from 204 countries, using a statistical tool that allows comparison of different studies. In this way, they achieved an accurate X-ray of the global diet and its impact on the heart. The analysis detailed the effect of low consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and fish and high consumption of sodium, processed meats, and sugary drinks. They found that people aged 75 and over experienced the greatest burden of ischemic heart disease attributable to diet. That is, those over 70 are the most affected, but the risk also exists for all adults. In 2023, inadequate diet caused 4.06 million deaths from ischemic heart disease and nearly 97 million disability-adjusted life years lost. Although the rate decreased, the total number of deaths grew by 41.59% since 1990, due to aging and population growth. In countries with fewer resources, the lack of healthy food represented the biggest problem. In countries with more resources, the excess of not very nutritious products raised the risk.

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Changing your diet, changing your destiny

After analyzing the results, the researchers recommended public policies that ensure access to nutritious food and food education. They suggested that "dietary risks, being modifiable and strongly linked to non-communicable diseases, require comprehensive policy approaches." Improving food production and distribution is key to safer nutrition. They acknowledged that data from some countries is still missing and that it is difficult to accurately measure actual consumption. But the conclusion is clear: taking care of daily nutrition can prevent millions of deaths and years of life lost. Thus, the risk of heart disease decreases and health gains space on all tables. Improving the daily diet can save millions of lives worldwide (Illustrative Image Infobae) In dialogue with Infobae, Ariel Kraselnik, cardiologist, professor, researcher, director of the postgraduate program in Plant-Based Nutrition at the National University of Rosario and member of the Prevention Council of the Argentine Society of Cardiology, valued the study published in Nature Medicine. "The new study confirms what numerous studies already show: a diet rich in nuts, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and promotes a healthier life," he said. He highlighted that dietary patterns where those foods predominate are associated with lower mortality and fewer chronic diseases. He warned that the consumption of sugary drinks and processed meats, such as cold cuts and sausages, is harmful and it would be ideal to avoid them completely. Avoiding sugary drinks and processed meats helps prevent heart disease.

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"It's interesting that the study proposes clear goals, such as 350 grams of fruits and vegetables daily, 200 grams of whole grains, and 25 to 30 grams of nuts and seeds," he said. Kraselnik advised that it should be taken into account that plant-based diets, with high fiber and low consumption of saturated fats, sodium, and processed meats, are the most effective for taking care of health and preventing diseases.