Changes in diet and lifestyle have led to a sharp increase in deaths linked to high levels of cholesterol in Asia, according to a study published on Wednesday.
Cholesterol-linked deaths from heart disease and stroke have been seen as a problem for high-income Western countries but the balance has shifted to Asia over the past four decades, according to an article in the journal Nature.
The study showed a small reduction of average cholesterol in the Middle East and North Africa, where levels are already lower than the global average.
The study examined data from more than 100 million people worldwide from 1980 to 2018, which suggested that changes in diet, behaviour and medication were behind the changes.
In 2017, so-called ‘bad cholesterol’ was linked to 3.9 million deaths worldwide with half of those in East, South-East and South Asia, it said. In 1990, Asian deaths were only responsible for one quarter of deaths.
The research found that China had some of the lowest levels of cholesterol in 1980 but was among the highest in 2018, while Belgium and Iceland saw some of largest declines.
Major cuts in European countries attributed to dietary changes and the increased use of cholesterol-controlling statins.
Cholesterol can be affected by a number of different factors so it was difficult to say specifically why levels had not changed in the Middle East, said one of the authors, Professor Majid Ezzati of Imperial College London.
He said it was likely that cholesterol levels in the Middle East had not shifted because the balance between animal and plant-based food had not much changed compared with Europe and Asia. He said improvements in healthcare may also have been significant.
China’s rising prosperity and changes in eating habits have been blamed for rising obesity and lifestyle-related conditions, such as diabetes. The authors of the report recommended changes to the Asian diet that replaced saturated fats with unsaturated ones and improvements in treatment.
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Should late investors consider cryptocurrencies?
Wealth managers recommend late investors to have a balanced portfolio that typically includes traditional assets such as cash, government and corporate bonds, equities, commodities and commercial property.
They do not usually recommend investing in Bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies due to the risk and volatility associated with them.
“It has produced eye-watering returns for some, whereas others have lost substantially as this has all depended purely on timing and when the buy-in was. If someone still has about 20 to 25 years until retirement, there isn’t any need to take such risks,” Rupert Connor of Abacus Financial Consultant says.
He adds that if a person is interested in owning a business or growing a property portfolio to increase their retirement income, this can be encouraged provided they keep in mind the overall risk profile of these assets.
COMPANY PROFILE
Company name: Blah
Started: 2018
Founder: Aliyah Al Abbar and Hend Al Marri
Based: Dubai
Industry: Technology and talent management
Initial investment: Dh20,000
Investors: Self-funded
Total customers: 40
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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Essentials
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Delhi from about Dh950 return including taxes.
The hotels
Double rooms at Tijara Fort-Palace cost from 6,670 rupees (Dh377), including breakfast.
Doubles at Fort Bishangarh cost from 29,030 rupees (Dh1,641), including breakfast. Doubles at Narendra Bhawan cost from 15,360 rupees (Dh869). Doubles at Chanoud Garh cost from 19,840 rupees (Dh1,122), full board. Doubles at Fort Begu cost from 10,000 rupees (Dh565), including breakfast.
The tours
Amar Grover travelled with Wild Frontiers. A tailor-made, nine-day itinerary via New Delhi, with one night in Tijara and two nights in each of the remaining properties, including car/driver, costs from £1,445 (Dh6,968) per person.
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
KILLING OF QASSEM SULEIMANI
Background: Chemical Weapons
Racecard
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Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
