Review Article

Diet, Genetics, and Disease: A Focus on the Middle East and North Africa Region

Table 1

Rates of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and the metabolic syndrome in MENA countries from different studies.

Coronary artery disease (CAD)

IranAge-adjusted prevalence (%)12.7Nabipour et al. [73]
JordanPrevalence (%)5.9Nsour et al. [74]

Saudi Arabia,
 (rural)Prevalence (%)4.0Al-Nozha et al. [75]
 (urban)Prevalence (%)6.2
 (overall)Prevalence (%)5.5

TunisiaPrevalence (%), [men]12.5Ben Romdhane et al. [76]
Prevalence (%), [women]20.6

Cerebrovascular Accidents

BahrainAge-adjusted incidence (per 100,000)96.2Al-Jishi and Mohan [77]
IranAge-adjusted incidence (per 100,000)61.5Ahangar et al. [78]
KuwaitAge-adjusted incidence (per 100,000)92.2Abdul-Ghaffar et al. [79]
LibyaAge-adjusted incidence (per 100,000)114.2Radhakrishnan et al. [80]
PalestineAge-adjusted incidence (per 100,000)62.7Sweileh et al. [81]
QatarAge-adjusted incidence (per 100,000)123.7Hamad et al. [82]
Saudi ArabiaAge-adjusted incidence (per 100,000)38.5Al-Rajeh et al. [83]

Hypertension (HTN)

AlgeriaPrevalence (%), [Age > 25]36.2Yahia-Berrouiguet et al. [84]
BahrainPrevalence (%), [Age > 20]42.1Al-Zurba [85]

EgyptAge-adjusted prevalence (%)27.4Ibrahim et al. [86]
Prevalence (%), [Age > 25]26.3Galal [87]

IranPrevalence (%), [Age > 19]25.6Sarraf-Zadegan et al. [88]
Prevalence (%), [Age: 30–55]23.0Haghdoost et al. [89]
Prevalence (%), [Age > 55]49.5

IraqPrevalence (%), [Age > 20]19.3WHO: STEPwise, [90]
JordanPrevalence (%), [Age > 18]30.2Zindah et al. [91]
LebanonPrevalence (%), [Age: 18–65]31.2Sibai et al. [92]
MoroccoPrevalence (%), [Age > 20]33.6Tazi et al. [93]
OmanPrevalence (%), [Age > 20]21.5Hasab et al. [94]

Palestine (WB),
 (rural)Prevalence (%), [Age: 30–65]25.4Abdul-Rahim et al. [95]
 (urban)Prevalence (%), [Age: 30–65]21.5

QatarPrevalence (%), [Age: 25–65]32.1Bener et al. [96]
Saudi ArabiaPrevalence (%), [Age: 30–70]26.1Al-Nozha et al. [97]
SudanPrevalence (%), [Age: 25–64]23.6WHO: STEPwise, [90]
SyriaPrevalence (%), [Age: 18–65]40.6Maziak et al. [98]
TurkeyAge-adjusted prevalence (%)25.7Sonmez et al. [99]
UAEPrevalence (%), [Age > 20]20.8Baynouna et al. [100]
YemenPrevalence (%), [Age > 35]26.0Gunaid and Assabri [101]
Middle EastPrevalence (%), (overall)21.7Motlagh et al. [102]

Metabolic Syndrome

AlgeriaPrevalence (%), [Age > 20]17.4Mehio Sibai et al. [103]
IranPrevalence (%), [Age > 19]23.3Mehio Sibai et al. [103]
JordanPrevalence (%), [Age > 18]36.3Khader et al. [104]
KuwaitPrevalence (%), [Age > 20]24.8Al Rashdan and Al Nesef [105]
LebanonPrevalence (%), [Age: 18–65]25.4Mehio Sibai et al. [103]
Morocco, (rural)Prevalence (%), [women]16.3Rguibi and Belahsen [106]

Oman,
 (overall)Prevalence (%), [Age > 20]21.0Al-Lawati et al. [107]
 (Nizwa)Age adjusted prevalence (%)8.0Al-Lawati et al. [107]

Palestine (WB)Prevalence (%), [Age: 30–65]17.0Abdul-Rahim et al. [95]

QatarPrevalence (%), [Age > 20]27.7Musallam et al. [108]
Age adjusted prevalence (%)26.5Bener et al. [109]

Saudi ArabiaAge adjusted prevalence (%)39.3Al-Nozha et al. [110]
TunisiaPrevalence (%), [Age > 20]16.3Bouguerra et al. [111]
UAEPrevalence (%)39.6Malik and Razig [112]

Nonadjusted rates from different studies are not valid for comparison but displayed to present the burden of the morbidities. HTN is defined as BP > 140/90 or use of antihypertensive medications. Metabolic Syndrome definition is based on Adult Treatment Panel III, except for Palestine and Tunisia where, respectively, WHO criteria and hypercholesterolemia (Total Cholesterol ≥5.2 mmol/l) instead of low HDL cholesterol were used. UAE: United Arab Emirates; WB: West Bank [103, 113116].