The fried foods, salty snacks and meats that are staples¹ of the Western diet account for about 30 percent of heart attack risk across the world, a new report suggests.

Meanwhile, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, the so-called "Prudent²" diet, is tied a low risk of heart attack, according to the study, published in the Oct. 21 issue of Circulation.

The research, which looked at dietary habits in 52 countries, found people who ate a Western diet had a 35 percent greater risk of having a heart attack compared to those who ate little or no fried foods and meat. Those who followed a "Prudent" diet had a 30 percent lower risk of heart attack compared to those who went light on fruits and vegetables.

The authors also looked at an "Oriental" diet, rich in tofu, soy and other sauces, and found it did not increase or decrease the risk of a heart attack.

Previous studies have reached similar conclusions about the "Prudent" and Western diet in the United States and Europe, but did not include the Oriental pattern of eating. While some components³ of the Oriental diet may protect against heart trouble, the higher sodium⁴ content of sauces counter that benefit.

"This study indicates that the same relationships that are observed in Western countries exist in different regions of the world," study senior author Salim Yusuf, a professor of medicine at McMaster University and director of the Population Health Research Institute at Hamilton Health Sciences in Ontario, said in an American Heart Association news release.

The Canadian researchers analyzed⁵ risk factors in food choices and the risk of heart attack in about 16,000 people in 52 countries. Almost 6,000 people had heart attacks, while the rest had no known heart disease.

一项最新研究报告称，以油炸食品、高盐食品和肉食为主的西式饮食易引发心脏病，目前全世界约30%的心脏病是由这种饮食方式引起的。

同时，研究表明，富含水果和蔬菜的“谨慎饮食”则能够降低患心脏病的风险。该研究报告在本月21日的《人体循环》杂志上发表。

该项饮食习惯调查在52个国家开展。调查结果显示，以西式饮食为主的人患心脏病的几率比很少或不吃油炸食品和肉类的人高35%；而饮食“谨慎”者患心脏病的几率则比少食蔬菜水果的人低30%。

研究人员还研究了多吃豆腐、酱油和其他调料的“东方饮食”，结果发现这种饮食结构对心脏病发率没什么影响。

此前在美国和欧洲开展的有关“谨慎饮食”和西式饮食的研究也得出过类似结论，但都未涉及东方饮食。东方饮食结构中的一些成分能够保护心脏，但酱类中的高钠成分则又会抵消这一作用。

麦克斯马特大学医药学教授、位于安大略省的汉密尔顿人口健康科学研究所所长萨利姆•尤萨夫在美国心脏协会的新闻发布会上说：“这项研究表明，西方国家所发现的饮食结构和心脏健康的关系在其他地区同样存在。”

加拿大研究人员研究了52个国家的约1.6万人，对他们饮食选择中的危险因素和患心脏病的风险进行了分析，其中近6000人患有心脏病，其他人无心脏疾病。