Analysis of the Burden of Cardiovascular Morbidity in Countries with High and Low Levels of Daily Food Consumption

Obesity, like a pandemic, is taking over the world and is a risk factor for many non-communicable chronic diseases (NCD).

Purpose: To evaluate the effect of total daily food consumption (TDC) in different countries on predictors of metabolic syndrome (MS) and the burden of cardiovascular disease in men and women.

Methods and Results: a comparative Mann-Whitney U-criterion analysis of two groups of countries (25 countries per group) with maximum and minimum TDC was performed. It was established:

1. Group 1 countries compared to Group 2 had 5 times higher TDC (p≤0.0001) and 7-18 times higher levels of 7 product groups in TDC (p≤0.0001). The percentages of the 7 product groups in TDC differed between two groups. In Group 1 AP was 12% higher, AB was 8% higher (p≤0.0001). In Group 2 CV was 28% higher (p≤0.0001) and F was 2% higher (p≤0.02).

2. All indicators of the 7 predictors of metabolic syndrome (MS) for men and women were 1.5 to 5-fold higher in the 1st group than in the 2nd group (p≤0.001). The gradient of MS predictors between the 1st and the 2nd group was greater in men than in women.

3. The burden of total cardiovascular morbidity was 2.0 times lower in men (p≤0.007) and 4 times lower in women (p≤0.0001) in group 1 than in group 2. In men, the burden of individual types of cardiovascular diseases (Hypertensive heart disease, Coronary heart disease, Cerebrovascular heart disease, Rheumatoid heart disease, and Inflammatory heart disease) was statistically significantly lower in both men and women in Group 1 compared to Group 2 (p≤0.001). Thus, the burden of all types of cardiovascular diseases in men and women was higher in Group 2. There were definite gender differences in all types of cardiovascular diseases. Moreover, gender differences were clearly visible in Group 1, but practically absent in Group 2.

Conclusion: TDC is a risk factor for MS disorders and the burden of cardiovascular disease in men and women.

Keywords:Food consumption levels; Nutritional structure; Predictors of the Metabolic Syndrome; Burden of cardiovascular diseases

Abbreviations:AB: Alcoholic Drinks; AP: Animal Products; BMI: Body Mass Index, BP: Blood Pressure; C: Cancer; CD: Communicable Maternal Perinatal Diseases; Chol: Blood Cholesterol; CL: Consumption of Selected Foods; D: Disease; EEI: Ecological Efficiency Index; FAO: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations; COPD: Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; FS: Fruits and Sweeteners; GDP: Domestic Gross Product; Glu: Blood Glucose; HPI: Happiness Index; IHD: Index of Human Development; LPA: Low Physical Activity; M: Male; NCD: Non Communicable Diseases; P: Person; CV: Cereals and Vegetables; RE: Rating Educations; TDC: Total Daily Consumption; UV: Ultraviolet Level