The overall prevalence of obesity has almost doubled since 1980, according to a major study on the way in which the three cardiac diseases important risk factors have changed in the world over the past three decades. The study, published in three articles in the Lancet, all available data to assess how global (BMI) body mass index, blood pressure and cholesterol has changed between 1980 and 2008.
The study shows that in 2008, more than one in ten of the world's adult population is obese, more likely to be obese than men to women. An estimated male 205 million and $ 297 million adult women were obese: a total of more than half a million worldwide adults.
The proportion of the world's population with a high blood pressure, or uncontrolled hypertension, modestly fell between 1980 and 2008. However, because of population growth and aging, the number of people suffering from uncontrolled hypertension increased from $ 600 million in 1980 to 1 billion in 2008. High-income countries achieved large reductions in uncontrolled high blood pressure, with the most impressive progress Australasian women and men in North America. Uncontrolled hypertension is defined as a systolic blood pressure above 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure greater than 90 mm Hg.
Total blood cholesterol levels fell in the Western countries of Europe and North Australia America, but increased in East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific.
Professor Majid Ezzati, the principal author of the study of the school of public health at Imperial College in London, said: "our results show that overweight and obesity, high blood pressure and is high cholesterol are more Western problems or the problems of the rich.". "Its presence has become a bit of middle income - and middle income countries making the problems global."
Apart from global trends, studies reveal how different countries to compare all risk factors. The results show that:
BMI:
In 2008, 9.8% men and 13.8 per cent of women in the world was obese (with a BMI greater than 30 kg/m2), compared to 4.8% for men and 7.9% of women in 1980. Pacific Island Nations have higher average BMI of the world, reaching disagreement kg/m2, up to 70% higher than some countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia. Among high income countries, the United States is the only higher BMI (more than 28 kg/m2 for men and women), followed by the New Zealand. Japan has the BMI less autour (22 kg/m2 for women) and 24 kg/m2 for men, followed by Singapore. Between countries with high income, between 1980 and 2008, BMI has increased more in the United States (more than 1 kg/m2/Decade), followed by the Australia and the New Zealand for women and followed by the United Kingdom and the Australia for men. Women in some countries of Western Europe had virtually no increase in body mass index. The United Kingdom has the sixth highest body mass in Europe for women and the ninth index higher for men (both around 27 kg/m2). Czech Turkish women and men have the highest index of body mass in Europe (at the time about 28 kg/m2). Swiss women had lower body mass in Europe (approximately 24 kg/m2) index.
Blood pressure:
Systolic blood pressure levels are highest in the Baltic countries and West Africa and reaching 135 mm Hg for 138 mm Hg in men and women. These levels were seen in some countries of Western Europe in the 1980s, before its impressive waterfalls. South Korea, Cambodia, Australia, Canada and some United States were some of the lowest pressures of blood for men and women, below 120 mmHg for women and then 125 mmHg for men. Among high income countries, the Portugal, the Finland and the Norway have high blood pressure. The men had increased blood pressure in women in most regions of the world.
Cholesterol:
Western European countries such as Andorra, Greenland, the Iceland and the Germany have the highest levels of cholesterol in the world with mean total cholesterol in serum of the African countries of approximately 5.5 mmol/l. cholesterol. lower, some as low as 4 mmol/l. Among the countries of the Western high income, the Greece a lower cholesterol for men and women (less than 5 mmol/L). United States, Canada and the Sweden were also in cholesterol. United Kingdom cholesterol is the ninth most in the world, slightly lower than 5.5 mmol/l.
The review was conducted by an international collaboration of researchers led by Professor Majid Ezzati of the Imperial College in London and with Dr. Gudarz Danaei Harvard School of public health, in collaboration with the World Health Organization and a number of other institutions.
Professor Ezzati said: "it is encouraging that many countries have reduced blood pressure and cholesterol despite increasing body mass index." Better detection and treatment probably helps to reduce risk factors, countries high income as it did with healthy unsaturated fat, and less salt.
"The results are an opportunity to implement policies that lead to a healthy diet, especially to reduce salt consumption, at all levels of economic development, as well as look at how to improve the detection and control of primary health care system." Policies and objectives of cardiovascular risk factors should receive special attention to the high-level meeting of the General Assembly of the United Nations on the non-communicable diseases in September of 2011 "."
Dr. Goodarz Danaei, school of public health from Harvard, said: "it is the first time that anyone has tried to estimate trends in these important risk factors in each country in the world." "The amount of data collected is vast and unprecedented and allows us to draw solid conclusions."
Dr. Gretchen Stevens, the World Health Organization, said: "our study allows to monitor the problem of obesity in countries and regions". We know that changes in diet and physical activity contributed to the increase in obesity in the world, but do not know what policies would effectively reduce obesity. "It is necessary to identify, implement and rigorously evaluate strategic interventions to reverse the trends or to limit its harmful effects".
The work is part of the global burden of diseases, injuries and risk factors study, which is supported by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. The study also received funding from the World Health Organization (who).
(Source: Imperial College London: the Lancet)
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