Trace Element and Mineral Nutrition in Ischemic Heart Disease

Ischemic heart disease is one of the more important of the Western diseases closely associated with the Western diet. As Burkitt has noted (1) there is no term that is entirely satisfactory in characterizing these diseases. For example, ischemic heart disease can be found on every continent and in every racial group. There are enormous differences in risk from place to place (2); generally those affected in nations with low overall risk resemble people in the industrialized parts of the world in their diet and habits.