A global study links 1.11 million heart deaths in India each year to poor diets, with the country also leading in lost healthy years. From excess salt to missing nutrients, everyday eating habits are emerging as a major driver of heart disease
India recorded an estimated 1.11 million cardiovascular deaths linked to poor diets in 2023 — second only to China — and ranked first globally in years of healthy life lost to diet-related heart disease, according to a new Global Burden of Disease analysis covering 204 countries and territories. The GBD study is led by the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington, with a global network of researchers.
The estimate comes with a wide uncertainty range — between 0.31 million and 1.69 million deaths — reflecting the limits of global modelling data. But the message is clear: diet is now a major driver of heart disease.
The estimate comes with a wide uncertainty range — between 0.31 million and 1.69 million deaths — reflecting the limits of global modelling data. But the message is clear: diet is now a major driver of heart disease.