scholarly journals Global red and processed meat trade and non-communicable diseases

2021 ◽  
Vol 6 (11) ◽  
pp. e006394
Author(s):  
Min Gon Chung ◽  
Yingjie Li ◽  
Jianguo Liu

IntroductionRapid increases in the trade of global red and processed meat impede international efforts toward sustainable diets by increasing meat consumption. However, little research has examined cross-country variations in diet-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs) because of meat trade. We aimed to examine the impact of red and processed meat trade on diet-related NCDs and to identify which countries are particularly vulnerable to diet-related NCDs due to red and processed meat trade.MethodsBy selecting 14 red meat and six processed meat items, we investigated bilateral meat trade flows across 154 countries. Then, we integrated health data and information on red and processed meat trade to quantify the country-specific burden of diet-related NCDs attributable to the meat trade using a comparative risk assessment framework.ResultsResults show that global increases in red and processed meat trade contributed to the abrupt increase of diet-related NCDs, and the attributable burden of diet-related NCDs had large geographical variations among countries. We also identified responsible exporting countries that increase diet-related NCD risks in importing countries. Over the period from 1993 to 2018, island countries in the Caribbean and Oceania were particularly vulnerable to diet-related NCD incidents and mortality due to large meat imports. In addition, countries in Northern and Eastern Europe have exceedingly increased attributable death and disability-adjusted life year rates via meat imports.ConclusionOur findings suggest that both exporters and importers must urgently undertake cross-sectoral actions to reduce the meat trade’s health impacts. To prevent unintended health consequences due to red and processed meat trade, future interventions need to integrate health policies with agricultural and trade policies by cooperating with both responsible exporting and importing countries.

2021 ◽  
Vol 79 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Periklis Charalampous ◽  
Elena Pallari ◽  
Stefanos Tyrovolas ◽  
Nicos Middleton ◽  
Mary Economou ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) accounted for over 90% of all deaths in the Cypriot population, in 2018. However, a detailed and comprehensive overview of the impact of NCDs on population health of Cyprus over the period of 1990 to 2017, expressed in disability-adjusted life years (DALYs), is currently not available. Knowledge about the drivers of changes in NCD DALYs over time is paramount to identify priorities for the prevention of NCDs in Cyprus and guide evidence-based decision making. The objectives of this paper were to: 1) assess the burden of NCDs in terms of years of life lost (YLLs), years lived with disability (YLDs), and DALYs in Cyprus in 2017, and 2) identify changes in the burden of NCDs in Cyprus over the 28-year period and assess the main drivers of these changes. Methods We performed a secondary database descriptive study using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2017 results on NCDs for Cyprus from 1990 to 2017. We calculated the percentage change of age-standardized DALY rates between 1990 and 2017 and decomposed these time trends to assess the causes of death and disability that were the main drivers of change. Results In Cyprus in 2017, 83% (15,129 DALYs per 100,000; 12,809 to 17,707 95%UI) of total DALYs were due to NCDs. The major contributors to NCD DALYs were cardiovascular diseases (16.5%), neoplasms (16.3%), and musculoskeletal disorders (15.6%). Between 1990 and 2017, age-standardized NCD DALY rates decreased by 23%. For both males and females, the largest decreases in DALY rates were observed in ischemic heart disease and stroke. For Cypriot males, the largest increases in DALY rates were observed for pancreatic cancer, drug use disorders, and acne vulgaris, whereas for Cypriot females these were for acne vulgaris, psoriasis and eating disorders. Conclusion Despite a decrease in the burden of NCDs over the period from 1990 to 2017, NCDs are still a major public health challenge. Implementation of interventions and early detection screening programmes of modifiable NCD risk factors are needed to reduce occurrence and exacerbation of leading causes of NCDs in the Cypriot population.


2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emma Patterson ◽  
Patricia Eustachio Colombo ◽  
James Milner ◽  
Rosemary Green ◽  
Liselotte Schäfer Elinder

Abstract Background An urgent transition to more sustainable diets is necessary for the improvement of human and planetary health. One way to achieve this is for sustainable practices to become mainstream. We estimated the potential health impact of wider adoption of dietary practices deemed by consumers, researchers and stakeholders in Sweden to be niche, sustainable and with the potential to be scaled up. Methods A life table method was used to estimate the impact - changes in years of life lost (YLL) - over periods of 20 and 30 years in the Swedish population had the practices been adopted in 2010–11, when the last national adult dietary survey was conducted. The practices modelled were reducing red and processed meat (by 25, 50 and 100%), and assuming, for each stage, replacement by an equal weight of poultry/fish and vegetables +/− legumes; reducing milk intake (by 25, 50 and 100%); and reducing sugar-sweetened beverage intake (by 25, 50 and 100%). Using population data together with data on cause-specific mortality and relative risks for diet-disease outcomes, impacts were estimated for each scenario separately and in combination, for the outcomes ischaemic heart disease (IHD), ischaemic stroke, diabetes type 2 and colorectal cancer. Results For a “moderate” combination of scenarios (changes at the 50% level), reductions of 513,200 YLL (lower-upper uncertainty estimate 59,400-797,900) could have been achieved over 20 years and 1,148,500 YLL (135,900-1,786,600) over 30 years. The majority (over 90%) of YLLs prevented were related to IHD, and the majority were in men. The singular practice that had the most impact was reducing the intake of red and processed meat and replacing it with a mixture of vegetables and legumes. Reducing milk intake resulted in an increase in YLL, but this was compensated for by other scenarios. Conclusion If these practices were more widely adopted, they would be expected to lead to improvements in public health in Sweden. Over the long term, this would translate to many premature deaths postponed or prevented from a number of chronic diseases, to the benefit of individuals, society, the climate and the economy.


Energies ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 14 (5) ◽  
pp. 1372
Author(s):  
Silviu Nate ◽  
Yuriy Bilan ◽  
Danylo Cherevatskyi ◽  
Ganna Kharlamova ◽  
Oleksandr Lyakh ◽  
...  

The paper analyzes the impact of energy consumption on the three pillars of sustainable development in 74 countries. The main methodological challenge in this research is the choice of a single integral indicator for assessing the social component of sustainable development. Disability-adjusted life year (DALY), ecological footprint, and GDP (Gross domestic product) are used to characterize the social, ecological, and economical pillars. The concept of physics, namely the concept of density (specific gravity), is used. It characterizes the ratio of the mass of a substance to its volume, i.e., reflects the saturation of a certain volume with this substance. Thus, to assess the relationship between energy consumption and the three foundations of sustainable development, it is proposed to determine the energy density of the indicators DALY, the ecological footprint, and GDP. The reaction to changes in energy consumption is described by the elasticity of energy density functions, calculated for each of the abovementioned indicators. The state of the social pillar is mostly dependent on energy consumption. As for the changes in the ecological pillar, a 1% reduction in energy consumption per capita gives only a 0.6% ecological footprint reduction, which indicates a low efficiency of reducing energy consumption policy and its danger for the social pillar. The innovative aspect of the research is to apply a cross-disciplinary approach and a calculative technique to identify the impact that each of the pillars of sustainable development imposes on energy policy design. The policy of renewable energy expansion is preferable for all sustainable development pillars.


2018 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. e253-e260 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leandro Fórnias Machado de Rezende ◽  
Leandro Martin Totaro Garcia ◽  
Grégore Iven Mielke ◽  
Dong Hoon Lee ◽  
Edward Giovannucci ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Background Studies on the impact of counterfactual scenarios of physical activity on premature deaths from non-communicable diseases (NCDs) are sparse in the literature. We estimated preventable premature deaths from NCDs (diabetes, ischemic heart disease, stroke, and breast and colon cancers) in Brazil by increasing population-wide physical activity (i) to theoretical minimum risk exposure levels; (ii) reaching the physical activity recommendation; (iii) reducing insufficient physical activity by 10%; and (iv) eliminating the gender differences in physical activity. Methods Preventable fractions were estimated using data from a nationally representative survey, relative risks from a meta-analysis and number of premature deaths (30–69 years) from the Brazilian Mortality Information System. Results Physical activity could potentially avoid up to 16 700 premature deaths from NCDs in Brazil, corresponding to 5.75 and 3.23% of premature deaths from major NCDs and of all-causes, respectively. Other scenarios suggested the following impact on premature deaths: reaching physical activity recommendation (5000 or 1.74% of major NCDs); 10% reduction in insufficient physical activity (500 or 0.17% of major NCDs); eliminating gender differences in physical activity (1000 or 0.33% of major NCDs). Conclusions Physical activity may play an important role to reduce premature deaths from NCD in Brazil.


2019 ◽  
Vol 29 (Supplement_4) ◽  
Author(s):  
G Grosso

Abstract Background modifiable risk factors, can help to identify emerging threats to population health and opportunities for prevention of chronic non-communicable diseases (NCD). Among various risk factors, poor nutrition quality has been identified as a leading determinant of NCD. Methods The Global Burden of Diseases (GBD) Study provided a comprehensive comparative risk assessment (CRA) of risk factor for NCD, quantifying the impact of behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risk-outcome pairs that met the GBD study criteria for convincing or probable evidence of causation. Special focus on nutritional risk factors will be dedicated, discussing the proportion of disease-specific burden attributable to each dietary risk factor and the level of intake associated with the lowest risk of mortality. Results In 2017, over 30 million deaths were attributable to risk factors. When ranked, high systolic blood pressure was the leading risk factor, accounting for more than 10 million deaths, followed by, high fasting plasma glucose, and high body-mass index. A total of 11 million deaths were attributable to dietary risk factors. High intake of sodium, low intake of whole grains, and low intake of fruits were the leading dietary risk factors for deaths globally. However, important differences between regions and outcome (i.e., cardiovascular disease vs. cancer) have been registered. Besides the major aforementioned factors, underrated dietary risk factors, such as low calcium intake, have been found important contributors to cancer burden in certain developed countries. Interpretation The combination of increasing metabolic risks and population ageing will probably continue to drive the increasing trends in NCD at the global level. These data provide a comprehensive picture of the potential impact of suboptimal diet on NCD mortality and morbidity, highlighting the need for improving diet across nations.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
A Bano ◽  
L Chaker ◽  
F U S Mattace-Raso ◽  
R P Peeters ◽  
O H Franco

Abstract Background Variations in thyroid function within the reference ranges are associated with an increased risk of diseases and death. However, the impact of thyroid function on life expectancy (LE) and the number of years lived with and without non-communicable diseases (NCD) remains unknown. Purpose We aimed to investigate the association of thyroid function with total LE and LE with and without NCD among euthyroid subjects. Methods Participants of the Rotterdam Study without known thyroid disease and with thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and free thyroxine (FT4) levels within the reference ranges were eligible. NCD were defined as the presence of cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus type 2, or cancer. We used multistate life tables to calculate the total LE and LE with and without NCD among TSH and FT4 tertiles, in men and women. LE estimates were obtained using prevalence, incidence rates and hazard ratios for three transitions (healthy to NCD, healthy to death and NCD to death). Analyses were adjusted for sociodemographic and cardiovascular risk factors. Results The mean (standard deviation) age of 7644 participants was 64.5 (9.7) years and 52.2% were women. Over a median follow-up of 8 years, we observed 1396 incident NCD events and 1422 deaths. Compared with those in the lowest tertile, men and women in the highest TSH tertile lived 1.5 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.8; 2.3) and 1.5 (95% CI, 0.8; 2.2) years longer, respectively; of which 1.4 (95% CI, 0.5; 2.3) and 1.3 (95% CI, 0.3; 2.1) years with NCD. Compared with those in the lowest tertile, the difference in LE for men and women in the highest FT4 tertile was −3.7 (95% CI, −5.1 to −2.2) and −3.3 (95% CI, −4.7; −1.9), respectively; of which −1.8 (95% CI, −3.1 to −0.7) and −2.0 (95% CI, −3.4 to −0.7) years without NCD. Life expectancy in TSH and FT4 tertiles Conclusions There are meaningful differences in total LE, LE with and without NCD within the reference ranges of thyroid function. People with low-normal thyroid function live more years with and without NCD than those with high-normal thyroid function. These findings support a reevaluation of the current reference ranges of thyroid function.


2012 ◽  
Vol 16 (10) ◽  
pp. 1893-1899 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aline Martins de Carvalho ◽  
Chester Luiz Galvão César ◽  
Regina Mara Fisberg ◽  
Dirce Maria Lobo Marchioni

AbstractObjectiveTo evaluate red and processed meat intake, and the impact meat consumption has on diet quality and the environment.DesignA large cross-sectional health survey performed in São Paulo, Brazil.SettingDiet was assessed by two 24 h dietary recalls. Usual intakes were calculated using the Multiple Source Method. The World Cancer Research Fund recommendation of an average of 71·4 g/d was used as the cut-off point to estimate excessive red and processed meat consumption. To investigate the relationship between meat consumption and diet quality we used the Brazilian Healthy Eating Index Revised. The environmental impact was analysed according to estimates of CO2 equivalent emissions from meat consumption.SubjectsBrazilians (n 1677) aged 19 years and older were studied.ResultsThe mean red and processed meat intake was 138 g/d for men and 81 g/d for women. About 81 % of men and 58 % of women consumed more meat than recommended. Diet quality was inversely associated with excessive meat intake in men. In Brazil alone, greenhouse gas emissions from meat consumption, in 2003, were estimated at approximately 18 071 988 tonnes of CO2 equivalents, representing about 4 % of the total CO2 emitted by agriculture.ConclusionsThe excessive meat intake, associated with poorer diet quality observed, support initiatives and policies advising to reduce red and processed meat intake to within the recommended amounts, as part of a healthy and environmentally sustainable diet.


10.3823/2304 ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joses Muthuri Kirigia ◽  
Germano M Mwabu ◽  
James Machoki M'Imunya ◽  
Rosenabi Deborah Karimi Muthuri ◽  
Lenity Honesty Kainyu Nkanata ◽  
...  

Background: In 2012, a total of 9 398 809 deaths from all causes occurred in the WHO African Region; out of which 2 788 381 (29.67%) were due to non-communicable diseases (NCD). The objective of this study was to estimate future gross domestic product (GDP) losses associated with NCD deaths in the African Region for use to advocate for increased investments into prevention and management of NCDs. Methods: Human capital approach is used to estimate non-health GDP losses associated with NCD deaths. Future non-health GDP losses were discounted at 3%. The analysis was done for three income groups of countries and six age groups. One-way sensitivity analysis at 5% and 10% discount rates was undertaken to assess the impact on expected non-health GDP loss estimates.Results: The 2 788 381 NCD deaths that occurred in the African Region in 2012 are estimated to have resulted in a total discounted GDP loss of Int$ 61 302 450 005. Out of that total loss, 20.36% was borne by those aged 0-4 years; 12.76% by 5-14 years; 16.64% by 15-29 years; 44.93% by 30-59 years; 2.99% by 60-69 years; and 2.33% by those aged 70 years and above. Thus, those aged between 15 and 59 years bore 61.57% of the GDP losses.Approximately 47.4%, 33.1% and 19.5% of the total loss was borne by high and upper middle-, lower middle- and low-income countries respectively. The average total non-health GDP loss was Int$ 21 985 per NCD death. The average non-health GDP lost per NCD death was Int$ 54 534 for Group 1, Int$ 21 492 for Group 2 and Int$ 9 096 for Group 3. Conclusion: Premature NCD deaths are associated with substantive GDP losses in countries of the African Region. Therefore, unless African countries and their development partners bolster their investments to assure universal population coverage of cost-effective promotive, preventive and management interventions for NCDs, prospects of achieving the United Nations General Assembly Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) might be greatly undermined in Africa.Key words: Non-communicable diseases, non-health GDP loss, NCD prevention and management, human capital approach


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