Ischemic Heart Disease Attributable to Dietary Risk Factors in the North Africa and Middle East (Name) Region: An Analysis of Data From the Global Burden of Disease Study 1990-2019 Publisher



Mohammadifard N ; Mehrabanizeinabad K ; Haghighatdoost F ; Bateni M ; Mokdad A ; Naghavi M ; Shariful Islam SM ; Sarrafzadegan N
Source: ARYA Atherosclerosis Published:2025

Abstract

BACKGROUND: Diet is an important risk factor for ischemic heart disease (IHD), but its effects on IHD and trends in the North Africa and Middle East (NAME) region are unknown. We aimed to evaluate the burden of different dietary risk factors on mortality and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) attributable to IHD in the NAME region from 1990 to 2019. METHODS: The data and estimations were extracted from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2019 Global Health Data Exchange. The proportion of IHD burden due to dietary risks was estimated through a comparative risk assessment approach. We calculated the mortality and DALYs rate attributable to diet for IHD using disease-specific population attributable fractions. RESULTS: The age-standardized rate of IHD mortality and DALYs attributed to dietary risk in the NAME region were 102.1 (95% uncertainty interval (UI): 81.0–121.1) and 2060.6 (95% UI: 1630.7–2471.2), respectively. These rates were higher than the global estimates for mortality (62.4 [95% UI: 51.0–73.6]) and DALYs (1271.3 [95% UI: 1061.3–1473.8]) and were greater in men than in women. Suboptimal diet contributed to 46.6% of IHD mortality and 49.5% of related DALYs. Low whole-grain intake was the leading dietary risk across all countries and years, responsible for 44.5 [95% UI: 18.6–57.1] IHD mortalities and 912.8 [95% UI: 369.7– 1177.8] DALYs per 100,000. CONCLUSION: Despite a decline in the burden of IHD attributable to diet in the NAME region, it remains substantially high. There exists considerable potential for enhancing dietary quality, particularly through the increased incorporation of whole grains. © 2025, Isfahan University of Medical Sciences(IUMS). All rights reserved.