ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Nutr.
Sec. Nutritional Epidemiology
This article is part of the Research TopicEmpowering Cancer Care: The Power of Nutrition and Fitness from Prevention to RecoveryView all 7 articles
Global Burden, Trends, and Inequalities of Gastric Cancer Attributable to High-Sodium Diets: A 30-Year Analysis and Projections Based on the Global Burden of Disease 2021 Study
Provisionally accepted
- 1Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
- 2First Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
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Background: High-sodium diet is a modifiable risk factor for gastric cancer, contributing substantially to its global burden. However, comprehensive evaluations of temporal, geographic, and sociodemographic patterns remain limited. Methods: Using Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2021 data, we systematically assessed gastric cancer mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) attributable to high-sodium diets across 204 countries and territories from 1990 to 2021. Analytical approaches included joinpoint regression, age-period-cohort models, frontier efficiency, , inequality metrics, and Bayesian projections to 2036. Results: Globally, age-standardized mortality and DALY rates declined significantly from 1990 to 2021 (EAPC for mortality: –2.26%; DALYs: –2.88%),. The highest burden was observed in East Asia, with China and Mongolia being most affected. Disparities across sex, region, and sociodemographic index (SDI) persisted, with middle and high-middle SDI countries exhibiting peak age-standardized rates. Reductions were most pronounced in high SDI and high-income Asia-Pacific regions. Inequality, while reduced in absolute terms, remained evident. Projections indicate continued declines, but persistent regional differences. Conclusions: Despite global progress in reducing age-standardized rates, substantial absolute and relative disparities in gastric cancer burden attributable to high-sodium diets persist, especially in transitioning economies. Targeted policies combining sodium reduction, education, regulation, and improved healthcare access are vital to accelerate progress and achieve more equitable health gains worldwide.
Keywords: gastric cancer, High-sodium diet, Global burden, trend analysis, Health Disparities, Projection models
Received: 10 Aug 2025; Accepted: 17 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Tian, Zheng, Li, Wu, Lin and Chen. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Zhaofeng Chen, zhfchen@lzu.edu.cn
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