Coronary heart disease mortality in relation to dietary, lifestyle and biochemical risk factors in the countries of the Seven Countries Study: a secondary dataset analysis

• Published in: Journal of human nutrition and dietetics Vol. 27; no. 2; pp. 168 - 175
• Main Authors: Papandreou, C, Tuomilehto, H
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Blackwell Publishing Ltd 01-04-2014
• Subjects: Biochemistry; Cardiovascular disease; cartography; Coronary Disease - mortality; coronary heart disease; Cross-Sectional Studies; data collection; Diet; Exercise; Food and Agriculture Organization; geographically weighted regression; Greece - epidemiology; Humans; hypertension; Hypertension - complications; islands; Japan - epidemiology; lifestyle; Lifestyles; Mortality; myocardial ischemia; people; Risk; Risk Factors; Sedentary Lifestyle; spatial analysis; World Health Organization; Crete; Serbia; Japan; Montenegro; Finland; Greece; geographically weighted regression; risk factors; coronary heart disease; spatial analysis
• ISSN: 0952-3871; 1365-277X
• DOI: 10.1111/jhn.12187

BACKGROUND: The present study explored coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality rates in 2011 in countries that participated in the Seven Countries Study (SCS) in relation to several dietary and anthropometric/biochemical risk factors. Special focus was given to Crete and the Ionian Islands. METHODS: This was a cross‐sectional study of secondary analysis of databases using data from the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization database and the Greek National Cadaster and Cartography Organization. Geographically weighted regression was applied to identify the high‐risk regions in relation to the significant factors. RESULTS: Crete, the Ionian Islands and Japan had the lowest mortality rates (28.9, 30.1 and 31.2 deaths/100 000 people, respectively) in contrast to Serbia/Montenegro that presented the highest rates (105.1 deaths/100 000 people). Diet, physical inactivity and hypertension were found to be the most significant factors in the model (P < 0.05). Regions of no risk were Crete, Ionian Islands and Japan (exponent B = 0.65; 95% confidence interval = 0.293–0.942; P < 0.001), whereas Serbia/Montenegro and Finland were identified as high‐risk areas with a 2.97‐fold higher probability for CHD mortality (95% confidence interval = 1.736–4.028; P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Observed patterns of CHD mortality and related factors may be helpful for appropriate management by health planners when aiming to reduce its prevalence, particularly in high‐risk areas.