Processed red meat harmful to heart

Processed red meat harmful to heart

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• Jun 16, 2014
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In general, red meat is not considered as healthy. A Swedish study, which was published in "Circulation", now indicates an increased risk of heart failure and related deaths when processed red meat is consumed.

Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm studied eating habits in a cohort of 37,035 men (aged between 45 and 79 years) over the course of twelve years. The study differentiated between consuming unprocessed and processed red meat. The latter included cold cuts, sausage, pies and black pudding.

During the course of the study, 2,891 men were diagnosed with heart failure and 266 died from it. The risk of heart failure was 28 per cent higher for men who ate the most processed red meat (more than 75 grams per day) compared to men who ate the least (less than 25 grams per day). People who ate the most processed meat also had double the risk of death from heart failure than people with the least consumption.

For each 50 gram increase per day, the risk of heart failure increased by eight per cent and that of death from heart failure by 38 per cent. In contrast, eating unprocessed red meat had no effect on the risk.

"To reduce your risk of heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases we suggest avoiding processed red meat in your diet, and limiting the amount of unprocessed red meat to one to two servings per week or less", said study author Joanna Kaluza from the University of Warsaw. It was assumed that the results would be similar for women.