Price reduction on fruits and vegetables could overall decrease 1.2 per cent deaths from cardiovascular diseases in five years.
A 10 per cent drop in price for healthy foods and a 10 per cent increase in the price of unhealthy foods could potentially prevent a significant number of people from dying from heart disease and stroke, suggests a new study.
Using a computer-based model, the researchers from Harvard University in US revealed how price changes might impact eating habits over time and whether this could reduce heart diseases.
The study revealed that a 10 per cent price reduction on fruits and vegetables could overall decrease 1.2 per cent deaths from cardiovascular diseases in five years and almost 2 per cent within 20 years.
Heart attacks and strokes can decrease by 2.6 per cent and 4 per cent, respectively, over a period of 20 years.
Also, a 10 per cent price reduction on grains can result in 0.2 per cent decrease from heart diseases within five years and 0.3 per cent by 20 years.
Further, a price increase of 10 per cent on sugary drinks, deaths from heart diseases overall could decrease by nearly 0.1 per cent within 5 years and 0.12 per cent within 20 years. Specifically, heart attacks could decrease by 0.25 per cent in both timeframes and strokes could decrease by 0.17 percent in 20 years.
Diabetes could decrease by 0.2 per cent in five years and 0.7 per cent in 20 years.
Combined, the model shows that by 2035 it would be possible to prevent 515,000 deaths from heart disease and nearly 675,000 events, such as heart attacks and strokes, across the nation with these small changes in price.
If a change by one serving occurred daily, for example one more piece of fruit (100gm), one full serving of a vegetable (100 gm), one serving of whole grains (50 gm), and one less 8 oz sugar sweetened beverage were consumed then up to 3.5 million deaths and 4 million heart disease events could be averted over a 2 year period.
"A change in your diet can be challenging, but if achieved through personal choice or changes in the market place, it can have a profound effect on your cardiovascular health," said lead author Thomas A. Gaziano, assistant professor at Harvard University.
State and community leaders who want to improve the health of their communities can use these data to make impactful change, the researchers explained adding that the findings support the need to combine modest taxes and subsidies to better represent the real costs of food to health and society.
The research was presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology/Lifestyle 2016 Scientific 2016 meeting.
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