BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES:Obesity prevalence in Mexican children has increased rapidly and is among the highest in the world. We aimed to estimate the longitudinal association between nonessential energy-dense food (NEDF) consumption and body mass index (BMI) in school-aged children 5 to 11 years, using a cohort study with 6 years of follow-up. SUBJECTS/METHODS:We studied the offspring of women in the Prenatal omega-3 fatty acid supplementation, child growth, and development (POSGRAD) cohort study. NEDF were classified into four main groups: chips and popcorn, sweet bakery products, non-cereal based sweets, and ready-to-eat cereals. We fitted fixed effects models to assess the association between change in 418.6 kJ (100 kcal) of NEDF consumption and changes in BMI. RESULTS:Between 5 and 11 years, children increased their consumption of NEDF by 225 kJ/day (53.9 kcal/day). In fully adjusted models, we found that change in total NEDF was not associated with change in children's BMI (0.033 kg/m2, [p=0.246]). However, BMI increased 0.078 kg/m2 for every 418.6 kJ/day (100 kcal/day) of sweet bakery products (p=0.035) in fully adjusted models. For chips and popcorn, BMI increased 0.208 kg/m2 (p=0.035), yet, the association was attenuated after adjustment (p=0.303). CONCLUSIONS:Changes in total NEDF consumption were not associated with changes in BMI in children. However, increases in the consumption of sweet bakery products were associated with BMI gain. NEDF are widely recognized as providing poor nutrition yet, their impact in Mexican children BMI seems to be heterogeneous.

The rapid expansion of food and nutrition information requires new ways of data sharing and dissemination. Interactive platforms integrating data portals and visualization dashboards have been effectively utilized to describe, monitor, and track information related to food and nutrition; however, a comprehensive evaluation of emerging interactive systems is lacking. We conducted a systematic review on publicly available dashboards using a set of 48 evaluation metrics for data integrity, completeness, granularity, visualization quality, and interactivity based on 4 major principles: evidence, efficiency, emphasis, and ethics. We evaluated 13 dashboards, summarized their characteristics, strengths, and limitations, and provided guidelines for developing nutrition dashboards. We applied mixed effects models to summarize evaluation results adjusted for interrater variability. The proposed metrics and evaluation principles help to improve data standardization and harmonization, dashboard performance and usability, broaden information and knowledge sharing among researchers, practitioners, and decision makers in the field of food and nutrition, and accelerate data literacy and communication.

Background We aimed to systematically identify, standardise and disseminate individual-level dietary intake surveys from up to 207 countries for 54 foods, beverages and nutrients, including subnational intakes by age, sex, education and urban/rural residence, from 1980 to 2015. Methods Between 2008–2011 and 2014–2020, the Global Dietary Database (GDD) project systematically searched for surveys assessing individual-level intake worldwide. We prioritised nationally or subnationally representative surveys using 24-hour recalls, Food-Frequency Questionnaires or short standardised questionnaires. Data were retrieved from websites or corresponding members as individual-level food group microdata or aggregate stratum-level data. Standardisation included quality assessment; data cleaning; categorising of foods and nutrients and their units; aggregation by demographic strata and energy adjustment. Results We standardised and incorporated 1220 surveys into the final GDD 2017 database, together represented 188 countries and 99.0% of the world’s population in 2015. 72.1% were nationally, 17.0% subnationally, and 10.9% community-level representative. 41.2% used Food-Frequency Questionnaires; 23.4%, 24-hour recalls; 15.8%, Demographic Health Survey questionnaires; 13.1%, biomarkers and 6.4%, household surveys. 73.9% of surveys included data on children; 52.2%, by urban and rural residence; and 30.2%, by education. Most surveys were in high-income countries, followed by sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Most commonly ascertained foods were fruits (N=803 surveys), non-starchy vegetables (N=787) and sugar-sweetened beverages (N=440); and nutrients, sodium (N=343), energy (N=256), calcium (N=224) and fibre (N=200). Least available data were on iodine, vitamin A, plant protein, selenium, added sugar and animal protein. Conclusions This systematic search, retrieval and standardised effort provides the most comprehensive empirical evidence on dietary intakes across and within countries worldwide.

The human diet consists of a complex mixture of components. To realistically assess dietary impacts on health, new statistical tools that can better address nonlinear, collinear, and interactive relationships are necessary. Using data from 1,928 healthy participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) cohort (1985-2006), we explored the association between 12 dietary factors and 10-year predicted risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) using an innovative approach, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR). Employing BKMR, we found that among women, unprocessed red meat was most strongly related to the outcome: An interquartile range increase in unprocessed red meat consumption was associated with a 0.07-unit (95% credible interval: 0.01, 0.13) increase in ASCVD risk when intakes of other dietary components were fixed at their median values (similar results were obtained when other components were fixed at their 25th and 75th percentile values). Among men, fruits had the strongest association: An interquartile range increase in fruit consumption was associated with -0.09-unit (95% credible interval (CrI): -0.16, -0.02), -0.10-unit (95% CrI: -0.16, -0.03), and -0.11-unit (95% CrI: -0.18, -0.04) lower ASCVD risk when other dietary components were fixed at their 25th, 50th (median), and 75th percentile values, respectively. Using BKMR to explore the complex structure of the total diet, we found distinct sex-specific diet-ASCVD relationships and synergistic interaction between whole grain and fruit consumption.

The human diet consists of a complex mixture of components. To realistically assess dietary impacts on health, new statistical tools that can better address nonlinear, collinear, and interactive relationships are necessary. Using data from 1,928 healthy participants in the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) cohort (1985–2006), we explored the association between 12 dietary factors and 10-year predicted risk of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) using an innovative approach, Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR). Employing BKMR, we found that among women, unprocessed red meat was most strongly related to the outcome: An interquartile range increase in unprocessed red meat consumption was associated with a 0.07-unit (95% credible interval: 0.01, 0.13) increase in ASCVD risk when intakes of other dietary components were fixed at their median values (similar results were obtained when other components were fixed at their 25th and 75th percentile values). Among men, fruits had the strongest association: An interquartile range increase in fruit consumption was associated with −0.09-unit (95% credible interval (CrI): −0.16, −0.02), −0.10-unit (95% CrI: −0.16, −0.03), and −0.11-unit (95% CrI: −0.18, −0.04) lower ASCVD risk when other dietary components were fixed at their 25th, 50th (median), and 75th percentile values, respectively. Using BKMR to explore the complex structure of the total diet, we found distinct sex-specific diet-ASCVD relationships and synergistic interaction between whole grain and fruit consumption.

Poor diets are associated with poor health outcomes, but existing metrics of diet quality do not directly include the health effects of diet. Using a novel international diet-health index (IDHI), we can measure diet-related health impacts from multiple dietary factors simultaneously, given a population's health status and most prevalent causes of death and disability. We obtained individual-level data on intake of 12 dietary factors and exposure to 2 metabolic risk factors from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2003–2014, and computed the IDHI for 12 cardio-metabolic diseases and 15 cancers in the U.S. by sex, race, education, and income. We then compared IDHI to a modified Alternative Healthy Eating Index (mAHEI) using 10 of the 12 dietary factors and validated the indices using the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) linked dataset for total mortality through 2015. IDHI declined from −0.314 (95% CI: −0.323, −0.305) in 2003/04 to −0.325 (−0.334, −0.316) in 2013/14 (P = 0.007 for trend). Non-Hispanic Black Americans have persistently lower IDHI than other groups, and disparities in IDHI have widened over time by level of income (P = 0.004 for interaction), and education (P = 0.047 for interaction). IDHI was more closely correlated with the mAHEI at higher levels of diet quality, and both indices were strongly associated with total mortality. The IDHI is a valid tool for measuring diet-related health impacts in the context of a population's most prevalent diseases, potentially offering tailored guidance regarding how best to reduce diet-related health disparities. No funding.

To prioritize dietary factors for reducing the growing burden of type 2 diabetes (T2D) worldwide, we estimated the impact of suboptimal diet on T2D incidence at global, regional, national, and subnational levels between 1990 and 2015. A comparative risk assessment framework estimated T2D incidence attributable to suboptimal diet in strata jointly stratified by year, nation, age, and sex, across 185 countries. We estimated direct (dietary composition) etiologic effects of 8 factors including nuts/seeds, whole grains, yogurt, processed meats, unprocessed red meats, glycemic load (estimated from refined grains), sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) and potatoes. Population demographics were from the United Nations; stratum-specific mean dietary intakes and distributions from Global Dietary Database (GDD), diet-T2D etiologic effects from meta-analyses of prospective cohort studies; and T2D incidence from the Global Burden of Disease study. These inputs and their uncertainties were used to calculate the stratum-specific population attributable fraction (PAF) and then absolute attributable cases, with joint effects estimated using multiplicative PAFs. In 2015, suboptimal intakes of these 8 factors were jointly estimated to cause 10.9 million T2D cases (95% UI 7.2–15.3), representing 59.6% of all cases (39.3–83.3%) among adults age 25 + y globally. Low intake of whole grains (3.6 million cases (3.4–3.8)) followed by high intake of SSBs (2.7 million cases (2.5–2.9)) had the largest estimated attributable burdens. Across 7 world regions, highest diet-attributable burdens of T2D were in High Income Countries (2516 cases per million (2115, 2870)) and Former Soviet Union (2341 cases per million (1465, 2970)); and lowest in Sub-Saharan Africa (797 cases per million (333, 1435)). The proportion of T2D attributable to suboptimal diet was generally greater in males vs. females and in younger vs. older age groups. Results for specific countries, trends over time, and further sensitivity analyses will be presented. These novel findings provide the most updated estimates of diet-attributable T2D globally, helping to inform priorities for targeted healthcare system, policy, industry and public health interventions to reduce T2D. Gates Foundation.

Food insecurity may mediate the relationships between social disparities and health. However, these mechanisms have rarely been studied in a comparable manner globally. The study aims to examine the mediation effect of food insecurity in the pathway between macrosocial inequalities and malnutrition at the global level. We measured a nation's macrosocial inequalities through three aspects - income distribution, education, and gender. National food insecurity was represented by the proportion of population who live in households classified as moderately or severely food insecure, assessed using the Food Insecurity Experience Scale. The outcomes included under-5 mortality rate, prevalence of under-5 stunting, and prevalence of under-5 wasting. We applied Pearson correlation tests to assess the crude relations between the macrosocial indices and malnutrition. For mediation analysis, we implemented the difference-in-coefficients method and the structural equation model method, controlling for potential confounders, including gross domestic product (GDP), urbanization, and trade as a share of GDP. All inequality measures had moderate and statistically significant correlations with the malnutrition outcomes, except income inequality with stunting and wasting (P = 0.34 and 0.09, respectively). After adjusting for the confounders, under-5 mortality was positively associated with education inequality and gender inequality, stunting with all three indices, whereas wasting with none of the indicators. Food insecurity significantly mediated and explained 89% and 76% of the total effects of income inequality and gender inequality on under-5 mortality, respectively. However, the adverse effects of the three inequality indices on stunting were not mediated by food insecurity, which only accounted for 18%, 18%, and 5% of the total effects (P = 0.60, 0.50, and 0.72), respectively. Furthermore, food insecurity did not mediate the relationship between education inequality and under-5 mortality, explaining only 13% of the total effect (P = 0.44). Globally, under-5 mortality is associated with income and gender inequalities primarily through food insecurity. Direct interventions addressing food insecurity are warranted to reduce the impact of macrosocial inequalities on preventable child deaths. NHLBI.

Saudi Arabia’s residents are the fifth-largest consumers of calories from sugar-sweetened beverage (SSB) globally, likely contributing to high rates of overweight and obesity. In 2017, Saudi Arabia implemented the largest SSB tax worldwide, increasing the prices of soft and energy drinks by 50% and 100%, respectively. The purpose of this research is to add to the global discussion on SSB tax design and policy process by highlighting the Saudi Arabia’s barriers and facilitators to implementation. We conducted semi-structured interviews with a purposive sample of ten informants among key stakeholders, including government, industry, and health organizations who worked on the sugary drink tax in Saudi Arabia. Interviews were conducted in the five months following tax implementation in June 2017. The questions were designed to understand how the tax originated, the motivations for its structure, and the barriers and facilitators associated with its implementation. A descriptive analysis was conducted. Our results suggest that energy drinks were perceived as more harmful than other soft drinks and thus taxed at a higher rate. We also found that the tax was perceived to be easy to administer by all stakeholders. Post tax implementation, some stakeholders expressed concern about pressures from the World Trade Organization requiring scientific justification for the specific tax rates and beverage categories. In response to the tax, the beverage industry reportedly reduced retail prices and absorbed some of the tax costs. There is a strong interest from the Saudi government in expanding the tax to include all SSBs and other food categories. In conclusion, there were several factors unique to the Saudi environment that facilitated tax implementation. However, our study highlights the importance of explicitly articulating a clear evidence-based rationale for SSB tax administration to enhance sustainability.

Abstract Objective: To quantify diet-related burdens of cardiometabolic diseases (CMD) by country, age and sex in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). Design: Intakes of eleven key dietary factors were obtained from the Global Dietary Database Consortium. Aetiologic effects of dietary factors on CMD outcomes were obtained from meta-analyses. We combined these inputs with cause-specific mortality data to compute country-, age- and sex-specific absolute and proportional CMD mortality of eleven dietary factors in 1990 and 2010. Setting: Thirty-two countries in LAC. Participants: Adults aged 25 years and older. Results: In 2010, an estimated 513 371 (95 % uncertainty interval (UI) 423 286–547 841; 53·8 %) cardiometabolic deaths were related to suboptimal diet. Largest diet-related CMD burdens were related to low intake of nuts/seeds (109 831 deaths (95 % UI 71 920–121 079); 11·5 %), low fruit intake (106 285 deaths (95 % UI 94 904–112 320); 11·1 %) and high processed meat consumption (89 381 deaths (95 % UI 82 984–97 196); 9·4 %). Among countries, highest CMD burdens (deaths per million adults) attributable to diet were in Trinidad and Tobago (1779) and Guyana (1700) and the lowest were in Peru (492) and The Bahamas (504). Between 1990 and 2010, greatest decline (35 %) in diet-attributable CMD mortality was related to greater consumption of fruit, while greatest increase (7·2 %) was related to increased intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages. Conclusions: Suboptimal intakes of commonly consumed foods were associated with substantial CMD mortality in LAC with significant heterogeneity across countries. Improved access to healthful foods, such as nuts and fruits, and limits in availability of unhealthful factors, such as processed foods, would reduce diet-related burdens of CMD in LAC.

•Saudi Arabia introduced an 50 % ad valorem excise tax on carbonated drinks in 2017.•Carbonated drinks’ tax pass through rate is 110 % (+0.82 Saudi Riyal; p-value <0.05)•Carbonated drink volume sales decreased by 35 % relative to other Arab Gulf states.

BACKGROUND:In 2010, sugar sweetened beverages (SSBs) were estimated to cause 12% of all diabetes, cardiovascular disease (CVD) and obesity-related cancer deaths in Mexico. Using new risk estimates for SSBs consumption, we aimed to update the fraction of Mexican mortality attributable to SSBs, and provide subnational estimates by region, age, and sex.METHODS:We used an established comparative risk assessment framework. All-cause mortality estimates were calculated from a recent pooled cohort analysis. Age- and sex-specific relative risks for SSBs-disease relationships were obtained from updated meta-analyses. Demographics and nationally representative estimates of SSBs intake were derived from the National Health and Nutrition Survey 2012; and mortality rates, from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography. Attributable mortality was calculated by estimating the population attributable fraction of each disease, with uncertainty in data inputs propagated through Monte Carlo probabilistic sensitivity analyses.RESULTS:In Mexican adults 20 years and older, 6.9% (95%UI: 5.4-8.5) of all cause-mortality was attributable to SSBs, representing 40,842 excess deaths/year (95%UI: 31,950-50,138). Furthermore, 19% of diabetes, CVD and obesity-related cancer mortality was attributable to SSBs (95%UI: 11.0-26.5), representing 37,000 excess deaths/year (95%UI 21,240-51,045). Of these, 35.6% were diabetes-related (95%UI 16.4-52.0). Proportional burden was highest in the South (22.8%), followed by the Center (18.0%) and North (17.4%). Men aged 45-64-years in the Center region had highest proportional mortality (37.2%), followed by 20-44-year-old men living in the South (35.7%) and both men and women aged 20-44 living in the Center (34.4%).CONCLUSIONS:Utilizing current evidence linking SSBs to cardiometabolic disease and obesity-related cancers, earlier estimates of Mexican mortality attributable to SSBs could have been underestimated. Mexico urgently needs stronger policies to reduce SSBs consumption and reduce these burdens.

Food systems are increasingly globalized and interdependent, and diets around the world are changing. Characterization of national food supplies and how they have changed can inform food policies that ensure national food security, support access to healthy diets and enhance environmental sustainability. Here we analysed data for 171 countries on the availability of 18 food groups from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization to identify and track multidimensional food supply patterns from 1961 to 2013. Four predominant food-group combinations were identified that explained almost 90% of the cross-country variance in food supply: animal source and sugar, vegetable, starchy root and fruit, and seafood and oilcrops. South Korea, China and Taiwan experienced the largest changes in food supply over the past five decades, with animal source foods and sugar, vegetables and seafood and oilcrops all becoming more abundant components of the food supply. In contrast, in many Western countries the supply of animal source foods and sugar declined. Meanwhile, there was remarkably little change in the food supply in countries in the sub-Saharan Africa region. These changes led to a partial global convergence in the national supply of animal source foods and sugar, and a divergence in those of vegetables and of seafood and oilcrops. Our analysis generated a novel characterization of food supply that highlights the interdependence of multiple food types in national food systems. A better understanding of how these patterns have evolved and will continue to change is needed to support the delivery of healthy and sustainable food system policies. Food systems are increasingly globalized and interdependent. Using food supply data from over 170 countries, Bentham et al. characterize global patterns of food supply change over five decades, highlighting the decline in the supply of animal source food and sugar in many Western countries, the increase in the supply of such foods in Asian countries and remarkably little change in food supply in the sub-Saharan Africa region.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Sodium intake is positively associated with blood pressure, which may increase the risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Therefore, we assessed the disease burden of CVD attributable to sodium intakes above 2,000 mg/day and prospectively investigated the association between dietary/urinary sodium levels and the risk of all-cause and CVD-mortality using the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHNES). SUBJECTS/METHODS: A total of 68,578 and 33,113 participants were included for comparative risk assessment (CRA) analysis and mortality analysis, respectively, and mean follow-up time for mortality was 5.4 years. CRA analysis was used to quantify attributable incidences of stroke, ischemic heart disease (IHD), and deaths attributable to sodium intake between 1998 and 2016. Cox proportional hazard regression model was used to determine the association between sodium intake and all-cause and CVD-mortality. RESULTS: Mean dietary sodium intake decreased over time, reaching 3,647 mg/day in 2016. Similarly, the population attributable fractions of stroke and IHD, and the number of CVD-associated deaths attributable to high sodium intake/excretion also decreased. In terms of association with mortality, when participants were grouped into quartiles (Q) by energy-adjusted sodium intake, those in Q2 had a lower risk of all-cause mortality than those in Q1 with lower intakes. The risk of CVD-associated mortality was higher only in females with high sodium intake in Q4 than those in Q1. CONCLUSIONS: This nationwide data indicates that, in line with previous studies of multiple cohorts, both low and high sodium intakes may be associated with an increased risk of mortality; therefore, the optimal sodium intake for Koreans needs to be revised.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Dietary factors are important contributors to cardiometabolic and cancer mortality. We examined the secular trends of nine dietary factors (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, milk, red meat, processed meat, sugar-sweetened beverages, and calcium) and the associated burdens of cardiometabolic and cancer mortality in Korea using representative cross-sectional survey data from 1998 to 2016. SUBJECTS/METHODS: Using dietary data from Korean adults aged >= 25 years in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), we characterized secular trends in intake levels. We performed comparative risk assessment to estimate the population attributable fraction and the number of cardiometabolic and cancer deaths attributable to each dietary factor. RESULTS: A total of 231,148 cardiometabolic and cancer deaths were attributable to nine dietary risk factors in Korea from 1998 to 2016. Suboptimal intakes of fruits and whole grains were the leading contributors. Although the intakes of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains moderately improved over time, the intake levels in 2016 (192.1 g/d, 225.6 g/d, and 10.9 g/d, respectively) remained far below the optimal levels. Deaths attributable to the low intakes of nuts and seeds (4.5 g/d), calcium (440.5 mg/d), and milk (37.1 g/d) and the high intakes of red meat (54.7 g/d), processed meat (4.7 g/d), and sugar-sweetened beverages (33.0 g/d) increased since 1998. Compared with older age groups (>= 45 years), more unfavorable changes in dietary patterns were observed in the younger population aged 25-44 years, including more sharply increased intakes of processed meat. CONCLUSIONS: We observed improvement in the intakes of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and unfavorable changes in the intakes of processed meat and sugar-sweetened beverages over the past few decades. Our data suggest that to reduce the chronic disease burden in Korea, more effective nutritional policies and interventions are needed to target these dietary risk factors.

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of premature morbidity and mortality among African American women, and diet plays a crucial role in its prevention. Diet consists of a complex mixture of foods and nutrients, yet few existing statistical methods can account for potential nonlinear and interactive relationships between multiple dietary factors and their effects on health. To realistically assess dietary impacts on CVD risk among African American women, we utilized an innovative statistical approach, Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression (BKMR), which takes into consideration the relationship between multiple dietary factors, as mixtures and as individual components, and CVD risk. Using data from 2724 healthy African American participants of the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study, we examined the association of nine dietary factors (fruits, vegetables, fish, red meat, poultry, nuts, whole grains, dairy, and sodium), collected through a validated food frequency questionnaire, with both systolic blood pressure (SBP) and CVD incidence. Through a kernel machine representation, BKMR regresses the outcome on a smooth function of the exposures, adjusting for potential confounders and allowing for possible nonlinearities and interactions. We used BKMR for modeling the continuous outcome, SBP, and its probit extension for the binary outcome, CVD incidence. Whole grain and fish had the strongest associations with SBP. SBP decreased by 0.78 mmHg (95% credible interval (CI): −1.70, 0.14) and increased by 0.70 mmHg (95% CI: −0.12, 1.52) for an interquartile range (IQR) increase in whole grain and fish consumption, respectively. We saw a linear and increasing association between the diet mixture and CVD incidence. This trend was mainly driven by red meat consumption as the primary dietary risk factor to CVD incidence: an IQR increase in red meat consumption was associated with a 0.06-unit (95% CI: −0.02, 0.14) increase in the probit CVD risk. No evidence for interactions and nonlinearities was observed. BKMR is a novel method for modeling complex dietary mixtures by incorporating potential nonlinearities and interactions, allowing identification of major dietary factors associated with elevated SBP and CVD incidence among a population disproportionally affected by CVD. NHLBI.

Introduction Diet is a major modifiable risk factor for cardiometabolic disease; however, interpretable measures capturing impacts of overall diet on health that can be easily used by policymakers at the global/national levels are not readily available. Methods We developed the International Diet-Health Index (IDHI) to measure health impacts of dietary intake across 186 countries in 2010, using age-specific and sex-specific data on country-level dietary intake, effects of dietary factors on cardiometabolic diseases and country-specific cardiometabolic disease profiles. The index encompasses the impact of 11 foods/nutrients on 12 cardiometabolic diseases, the mediation of health effects of specific dietary intakes through blood pressure and body mass index and background disease prevalence in each country–age–sex group. We decomposed the index into IDHIbeneficial for risk-reducing factors, and IDHIadverse for risk-increasing factors. The flexible functional form of the IDHI allows inclusion of additional risk factors and diseases as data become available. Results By sex, women experienced smaller detrimental cardiometabolic effects of diet than men: (females IDHIadverse range: −0.480 (5th percentile, 95th percentile: −0.932, –0.300) to −0.314 (−0.543, –0.213); males IDHIadverse range: (−0.617 (−1.054, –0.384) to −0.346 (−0.624, –0.222)). By age, middle-aged adults had highest IDHIbeneficial (females: 0.392 (0.235, 0.763); males: 0.415 (0.243, 0.949)) and younger adults had most extreme IDHIadverse (females: −0.480 (−0.932, –0.300); males: −0.617 (−1.054, –0.384)). Regionally, Central Latin America had the lowest IDHIoverall (−0.466 (−0.892, –0.159)), while Southeast Asia had the highest IDHIoverall (0.272 (−0.224, 0.903)). IDHIoverall was highest in low-income countries and lowest in upper middle-income countries (−0.039 (−0.317, 0.227) and −0.146 (−0.605, 0.303), respectively). Among 186 countries, Honduras had lowest IDHIoverall (−0.721 (−0.916, –0.207)), while Malaysia had highest IDHIoverall (0.904 (0.435, 1.190)). Conclusion IDHI encompasses dietary intakes, health effects and country disease profiles into a single index, allowing policymakers a useful means of assessing/comparing health impacts of diet quality between populations.

Abstract Objectives To estimate the effects of nationwide replacement of discretionary salt (used at table or during cooking) with potassium enriched salt substitute on morbidity and death from cardiovascular disease in China. Design Modelling study. Setting China. Population Adult population in China, and specifically individuals with chronic kidney disease (about 17 million people). Interventions Comparative risk assessment models were used to estimate the effects of a nationwide intervention to replace discretionary dietary salt with potassium enriched salt substitutes (20-30% potassium chloride). The models incorporated existing data and corresponding uncertainties from randomised trials, the China National Survey of Chronic Kidney Disease, the Global Burden of Disease Study, and the Chronic Kidney Disease Prognosis Consortium. Main outcome measures Averted deaths from cardiovascular disease, non-fatal events, and disability adjusted life years from a reduction in blood pressure were estimated after implementation of potassium enriched salt substitution. In individuals with chronic kidney disease, additional deaths from cardiovascular disease related to hyperkalaemia from increased intake of potassium were calculated. The net effects on deaths from cardiovascular disease were estimated as the difference and ratio of averted and additional deaths from cardiovascular disease. Results Nationwide implementation of potassium enriched salt substitution could prevent about 461 000 (95% uncertainty interval 196 339 to 704 438) deaths annually from cardiovascular disease, corresponding to 11.0% (4.7% to 16.8%) of annual deaths from cardiovascular disease in China; 743 000 (305 803 to 1 273 098) non-fatal cardiovascular events annually; and 7.9 (3.3 to 12.9) million disability adjusted life years related to cardiovascular disease annually. The intervention could potentially produce an estimated 11 000 (6422 to 16 562) additional deaths related to hyperkalaemia in individuals with chronic kidney disease. The net effect would be about 450 000 (183 699 to 697 084) fewer deaths annually from cardiovascular disease in the overall population and 21 000 (1928 to 42 926) fewer deaths in individuals with chronic kidney disease. In deterministic sensitivity analyses, with changes to key model inputs and assumptions, net benefits were consistent in the total population and in individuals with chronic kidney disease, with averted deaths outweighing additional deaths. Conclusions Nationwide potassium enriched salt substitution in China was estimated to result in a substantial net benefit, preventing around one in nine deaths from cardiovascular disease overall. Taking account of the risks of hyperkalaemia, a substantial net benefit was also estimated for individuals with chronic kidney disease.