Study examines impact of global food consumption on heart disease

More than 80 percent of cardiovascular disease deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries, but very little data on the impact of diet on cardiovascular disease exists from these countries.

A State-of-the-Art review published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology summarizes the evidence relating food to cardiovascular disease and how the global food system contributes to dietary patterns that greatly increase the risks for populations with poor health.

The authors identify what an optimal diet for reducing cardiovascular disease looks like, giving the traditional Mediterranean diet as an example, and suggest that it may be possible to recreate this diet in other regions using appropriate similar food replacements based on food availability and preferences.