Mixed
Suboptimal diet is the leading risk factor for cardiometabolic disease mortality in the Middle East and North Africa, accounting for 48% to 72% of deaths depending on the country.
In the MENA region, fixing diet is the single most effective way to prevent heart disease and diabetes deaths. Focus on increasing fruits and whole grains while reducing sodium, as these specific dietary failures contribute more to mortality than blood pressure or BMI alone in most countries.
Suboptimal diet was the leading risk factor for CMD mortality in 11 countries accounting for 48% (in Morocco) to 72% (in the United Arab Emirates) of CMD deaths.
Why this rating
Based on a large comparative risk assessment using systematic reviews and meta-analyses, though subject to measurement error and residual confounding.
Source
The impact of dietary habits and metabolic risk factors on cardiovascular and diabetes mortality in countries of the Middle East and North Africa in 2010: a comparative risk assessment analysis
Ashkan Afshin et al. · BMJ Open · 2015
DOI 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-006385
More from this paper
- Low intake of fruits and whole grains are the two most significant individual dietary risk factors for cardiometabolic mortality in the MENA region, accounting for 12% and 11% of deaths respectively.Good
- Non-optimal systolic blood pressure (SBP) is the leading metabolic risk factor for cardiometabolic mortality in the MENA region, causing 48% of deaths.Good
Related findings · Mixed
- Bariatric surgery (VSG and RYGB) is the most effective and sustainable treatment for obesity, producing marked and sustained weight loss that non-surgical interventions cannot match.Strong
- Severely protein-deficient diets (2–3% energy) induce lean body mass loss and metabolic imbalance, whereas adequate protein intake (0.66 g/kg/d minimum) is a prerequisite for maintaining muscle, bone, and physiological function.Strong
- For patients with Class III obesity (BMI >39.9 kg/m2), metabolic bariatric surgery (MBS) is significantly more effective than any currently approved medication, with BilioPancreatic Diversion (BPD) showing the highest estimated weight loss.Strong
This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →