A systematic analysis of the global disease burden of type 2 diabetes mellitus attributable to high intake of processed meat in 204 countries (1990-2021)
Ze W, Su R, Huang R, Guo Y, Yang X, Zhang B
Frontiers in endocrinology · 3 citations
Review labels
Neutral facts our review recorded about how this study was done. They describe method, never whether we like the result.
How it was studied
- Design
- Cross-sectional study (classified by our AI screen)
- Studied in
- People
- Main outcome
- Clinical events such as disease or death
- Intake measured by
- Not stated
Who paid for it
- Funding
- Independent funding
Based on full-text disclosure statement.
Publication
- Published
- 2025-09-30 · Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) · vol. 16 · p. 1635831
- Publisher
- Frontiers Media
- Cited
- 3 citations · more than 91% of similar papers · 2.7× the field average
- Impact
- Top 10% most cited in its field
- References
- 62 works
- Access
- Open access (journal) · CC-BY
- Research areas
- Nutritional Studies and Diet · Agriculture Sustainability and Environmental Impact · Dietary Effects on Health
- Keywords
- Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Processed meat, Consumption (sociology), Nutrition transition, Burden of disease, Type 2 diabetes, Pandemic, Diabetes mellitus
- MeSH
- humans, diabetes mellitus, type 2, risk factors, meat products, middle aged, female, male, global health, global burden of disease, covid-19, sars-cov-2, disability-adjusted life years
6 authors
From CN
- Wangchu ZeSouthwest Medical University; Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University
- Rui SuSouthwest Medical University; Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University
- Ruiyu HuangGuiyang University
- Yanxia Guo
- Xiaofang Yang · corresponding
- Baolu Zhang · correspondingSouthwest Medical University
Abstract
Background
High intake of processed meat is a modifiable risk factor for type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), yet its global disease burden across different socio-demographic contexts remains insufficiently characterized.
Methods
We analyzed T2DM mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to high processed meat intake across 204 countries from 1990 to 2021 using Global Burden of Disease 2021 data. We calculated age-standardized mortality rates (ASMR), age-standardized DALY rates (ASDR), and estimated annual percentage changes (EAPC) to assess temporal trends. Advanced interrupted time series (ITS) analysis was employed to detect structural breaks during the COVID-19 pandemic. Multivariate regression models examined the nonlinear relationship between the socio-demographic index (SDI) and the burden trend.
Results
Processed meat consumption accounted for 20.3% (95% UI: 18.3-23.5) of global T2DM burden in 2021. Attributable deaths increased 118% from 52.7 to 114.9 thousand, while DALYs tripled from 2.0 to 6.1 million over three decades. Quadratic regression identified a critical SDI range (0.47-0.55) where burden growth peaks. Interrupted time series revealed pandemic-induced trend reversals: mortality declined (EAPC: +0.23% to -0.50%) while disability burden continued rising. Intervention modeling showed 10%, 25%, and 50% consumption reductions could prevent 2,330, 5,800, and 11,600 deaths annually, respectively.
Conclusion
The global burden of T2DM attributable to processed meat consumption has increased substantially over three decades, with critical growth periods in middle-SDI countries. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted established trends, revealing complex interactions between socioeconomic factors and dietary risk patterns. Targeted interventions reducing processed meat consumption could prevent thousands of deaths annually, particularly in countries within the critical SDI transition zone.
Abstract via Europe PMC. Copyright remains with the authors or publisher (CC BY).
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