Key role of dietary fats in coronary heart disease under progressive urbanization and nutritional transition

The increased vulnerability to non-communicable diseases (NCD) of developin g populations experiencing a demographic and epidemiological transitions to increased risk of NCD at a time when the battle against infectious disease s, is ongoing. Apart from population growth, the major attributes of develo pmental transition are confined to changes in occupational pattern in famil y structure, lifestyle, dietary practices and progressive ageing of populat ion. The emergence of the NCD is significantly associated with changes in d ietary pattern, in most of the countries. Coronary heart disease (CHD) is t he leading cause of death in developed countries and the incidence is incre asing in developing countries, including India. The disease needs awareness of the risk factors responsible for prevention. The purpose of this review is to present an overview of the role of dietary fats in growth and develo pment and in health and disease. Although the causation of CHD is multiface ted and the risk factors associated in general are several, there are speci fic and important elements, such as dietary fats and lifestyle. Dietary fat s are an important component as they serve a number of functions in the bod y. The minimum desirable and upper limits of fat intake have been given, ba sed on recommendations of expert groups. Sources of different fats are made available worldwide and the production, consumption, storage, oxidation an d nomenclature are being discussed in the light of health and disease. The relative essentiality of the omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids is recognized in terms of pharmacologically active eicosanoid metabolism. Nevertheless, e pidemiological, physiological and clinical studies have demonstrated that l ong-chain omega-3 fatty acids present in fish oils have quite diverse healt h benefits. Appropriate guidelines need to be recommended at a national lev el consistent with dietary habits. The ratios of balanced fatty acids, name ly omega-11, omega-9, omega-6 and omega-3, should be worked out appropriate ly in ameliorating nutrition-related disease states. Any simple dietary mod ification that can lead to a substantial reduction in morbidity and mortali ty from CHD would be of great medical, social and economic benefit.