Objective: To explore the correlation between dietary habits/food structure and cardiovascular diseases (CVD) by analyzing the relative changes in food consumption and CVD incidence in China between 2000 and 2022, thereby providing dietary recommendations for CVD prevention. Methods: Data on national food consumption (2000-2022) were collected from the National Bureau of Statistics of China, and data on food intake were obtained from the China National Nutrition Surveys (1992-2012) to analyze changes in the consumption of various food categories among Chinese residents. Mortality data related to cardiovascular diseases were extracted from the World Health Organization (WHO) Mortality Database (2000-2019) to analyze national CVD morbidity and mortality trends. Utilizing SPSS 26.0 software, linear regression analysis was employed to examine the correlation between changes in food intake and CVD mortality rates. Results: Annual per capita consumption of cereal grains among urban and rural residents decreased from 166.3 kg to 136.8 kg, a reduction of 17.7%. Conversely, annual per capita consumption of animal-based foods increased from 42.7 kg to 82.3 kg, representing a rise of nearly 92%. Edible oil consumption also increased significantly, from 7.6 kg to 10.0 kg per capita (a 43% increase). Concurrently, the CVD mortality rate in China rose from 86.8 to 150.4 per 100,000 persons. Linear regression analysis revealed a significant positive correlation between the consumption of animal-based foods and edible oils and CVD mortality (P < 0.05). Conversely, a significant negative correlation was observed between the consumption of cereal grains and vegetables and CVD mortality (P < 0.05). Conclusion: Significant shifts have occurred in the proportion of animal-based versus plant-based foods within the national dietary structure. A substantial increase in CVD mortality was also observed during this period. Changes in dietary habits and food structure are correlated with CVD mortality among the Chinese population. Adjusting dietary patterns towards a more balanced diet can help mitigate cardiovascular disease risk.

Dietary Structure, Cardiovascular Diseases, Healthy Diet