Western Diet Boosts Global Heart Attack Risk 30%

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No surprise here:

MONDAY, Oct. 20 (HealthDay News) -- The fried foods, salty snacks and

meats that are staples of the Western diet account for about 30

percent of heart attack risk across the world, a new report suggests.

Meanwhile, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, the so-called

" Prudent " diet, is tied a low risk of heart attack, according to the

study, published in the Oct. 21 issue of Circulation.

The research, which looked at dietary habits in 52 countries, found

people who ate a Western diet had a 35 percent greater risk of having

a heart attack compared to those who ate little or no fried foods and

meat. Those who followed a " Prudent " diet had a 30 percent lower risk

of heart attack compared to those who went light on fruits and vegetables.

The authors also looked at an " Oriental " diet, rich in tofu, soy and

other sauces, and found it did not increase or decrease the risk of a

heart attack.

Previous studies have reached similar conclusions about the " Prudent "

and Western diet in the United States and Europe, but did not include

the Oriental pattern of eating. While some components of the Oriental

diet may protect against heart trouble, the higher sodium content of

sauces counter that benefit.

" This study indicates that the same relationships that are observed in

Western countries exist in different regions of the world, " study

senior author Salim Yusuf, a professor of medicine at McMaster

University and director of the Population Health Research Institute at

Hamilton Health Sciences in Ontario, said in an American Heart

Association news release.

The Canadian researchers analyzed risk factors in food choices and the

risk of heart attack in about 16,000 people in 52 countries. Almost

6,000 people had heart attacks, while the rest had no known heart disease.

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