Stroke mortality attributable to high red meat intake in China and South Korea: An age–period–cohort and joinpoint analysis

Abstract

The high intake of red meat is well recognized as a major health concern worldwide. It has been recognized as a risk factor for several non-communicable chronic diseases, including stroke. However, previously published studies have not performed a comprehensive analysis of the long-time trend of stroke mortality attributable to high red meat intake in China and South Korea, two countries with similar dietary patterns and changing trends. Therefore, this study aimed to reveal the influence of age, time period, and birth cohort on long-term trends of stroke mortality attributable to high red meat intake and relative gender differences in China and South Korea. Data were obtained from the Global Burden of Disease 2019 database. The age–period–cohort model was used to estimate the effect of age, time period, and birth cohort. The average and annual percent changes were estimated using the joinpoint regression analysis. Results indicated that the overall attributable age-standardized mortality rates of stroke in China decreased by 1.0% (P < 0.05) for female and 0.1% (P > 0.05) for male individuals, compared with a decrease of 4.9% for female and 3.7% for male individuals in South Korea (both P < 0.05). Age–period–cohort analysis revealed that the attributable stroke mortality decreased along with the time period, and increased along with age. Significant gender differences were observed, male individuals in both countries were at higher risk than their female counterparts, especially in China. Joinpoint analysis suggested that the attributable stroke mortality for both genders in South Korea and female individuals in China showed a decreasing trend, while it is stable for male individuals in China. Although prominent reductions were observed during the past decades, the attributable stroke mortality risk in China and South Korea is still high. Our findings indicate that controlling the intake of red meat may be a cost-effective strategy to reduce stroke mortality risk and the corresponding disease burden, especially for Chinese male individuals.

Analysis and projections of disease burden for different risk factors and sexes of ischemic stroke in young adults in China

“…High red meat intake was the only dietary factor that has increased mortality, possibly due to urbanization and economic growth 31 . Another study found that stroke mortality attributable to high red meat intake showed a decreasing trend for female individuals in China, while it was stable for male individuals in China 32 . The burden of alcohol-induced ischemic stroke in males is also on the rise in China, probably due to the sharp increase in Chinese per-capita consumption 33 .…”

The Role of Methionine-Rich Diet in Unhealthy Cerebrovascular and Brain Aging: Mechanisms and Implications for Cognitive Impairment

“…Epidemiological studies have indicated that regular and high intake of red meat may be associated with accelerated aging processes and an increased risk of age-related diseases [115][116][117][118][119][120][121][122][123][124][125][126][127]. Of particular concern is the relationship between red meat consumption and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases [120,121,123,[127][128][129][130][131][132][133][134][135][136][137]. The potential adverse effects on health of red meat consumption have been attributed to an increased intake of cholesterol, saturated fat, and methionine [128][129][130][131][132][133][134][135][136][137].…”

“…Of particular concern is the relationship between red meat consumption and cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases [120,121,123,[127][128][129][130][131][132][133][134][135][136][137]. The potential adverse effects on health of red meat consumption have been attributed to an increased intake of cholesterol, saturated fat, and methionine [128][129][130][131][132][133][134][135][136][137]. Considering these factors, reducing red meat consumption and opting for healthier protein sources may have beneficial implications for the prevention of age-related cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases.…”