Fried food intake associated with increased serious heart disease and risk of stroke

Eating fried foods is linked to an increased risk of serious heart disease and stroke, finds a pooled analysis of available research data, published online in the journal Heart.

And the risk increases with each additional weekly serving of 114 g, the analysis indicates.

Of course, the Western diet does not promote good cardiovascular health, but it is unclear exactly what contribution fried food can make to the risks of serious heart disease and stroke, the researchers say.

To shed some light on this, they sifted through research databases, looking for relevant studies published until April 2020, and found 19.

They gathered data from 17, involving 562,445 participants and 36,727 major cardiovascular ‘events’, such as a heart attack or stroke, to assess the risk of cardiovascular disease.

And they pooled data from six, involving 754,873 participants and 85,906 deaths over an average 9.5-year monitoring period, to assess the potential link between fried food consumption and deaths from cardiovascular disease and any cause.

The analysis showed that, compared to the lowest category of weekly fried food consumption, the highest was associated with a 28% high risk of major cardiovascular events; a 22% increased risk of coronary heart disease; and a 37% increased risk of heart failure.

These associations remained true when stratified by various studies and characteristics of the participants. In addition, a linear association has emerged between the consumption of fried foods and major cardiovascular events, coronary heart disease and heart failure.

These risks increased substantially by 3%, 2% and 12%, respectively, in conjunction with each additional weekly serving of 114 g.

Several studies have included only one type of fried food, such as fried fish, potatoes or snacks, rather than the total consumption of fried foods, which may have underestimated the associations found, suggest the researchers.

No association was found for deaths from cardiovascular disease or any cause, but this may be due to the relatively small numbers involved, say the researchers.

The design of the included studies varied considerably, in addition to that they were all based on memory – factors that must be taken into account when interpreting the results, warn the researchers.

And how exactly fried foods can influence the development of cardiovascular disease is not entirely clear, they point out, but suggest several possible explanations.

Fried foods increase energy intake because of their fat content and generate harmful trans fatty acids from hydrogenated vegetable oils often used to cook them.

Frying also increases the production of chemical by-products involved in the body’s inflammatory response, while foods, such as fried chicken and chips, are often rich in added salt and often accompanied by sugar-sweetened drinks, especially when served in fast food restaurants. , they say.