Western diet 'increases heart attack risk'

The typical western diet accounts for about 30 per cent of heart attack risk worldwide

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Tuesday, 21, Oct 2008 08:30

The typical western diet of fried foods, salty snacks and meat accounts for about 30 per cent of heart attack risk across the world, a new report claims.

According to the study published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association today, people who consumed the western diet had a 35 per cent greater risk of having a heart attack compared to people who consumed little or no fried foods and meat.

Researchers identified three main dietary patterns across the world: oriental, where there is a higher intake of tofu, soy and other sauce, prudent, where there is a higher intake of fruits and vegetables and western, where there is a higher intake of fried foods, salty snacks, eggs and meat.

"The objective of this study was to understand the modifiable risk factors of heart attacks at a global level," said Salim Yusuf, professor of medicine at McMaster University.

The report found that the prudent diet was associated with a lower heart attack risk than the oriental and people who consumed the prudent diet of more fruits and vegetables had a 30 per cent lower risk of heart attack compared to people who ate little or no fruits and vegetables.

The oriental pattern actually showed no relationship with heart attack risk, but researchers warned that while some components of the diet may be protective, others such as the higher sodium content of soy sauces, "may increase cardiovascular risk, neutralising any relationship".

Mr Yusuf said that data from today's study helped confirm that changes in dietary intake, including the consumption of more fruits and vegetables, can help reduce the risk of having a heart attack in populations worldwide.

"At the same time, an unhealthy dietary intake, assessed by a simple dietary risk score, accounts for nearly one-third of the world population's attributable risk," he concluded.