High Trans Fat Intake Triples Heart Disease Risk

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High Trans Fat Intake Triples Heart Disease Risk

Mar 30, 2007 10:01 PST

 

 

Note: What is unique about this study is that it is based on actual

trans levels in red blood cells, not on self-reporting of intake.

Its finding that the highest quartile for trans has 3X the heart

disease rate of the lowest quartile just says it all!

 

By Serena Gordon

HealthDay Reporter

Tuesday, March 27, 2007; 12:00 AM

 

TUESDAY, March 27 (HealthDay News) -- Women who eat diets rich in

unhealthy trans fats have three times the risk of heart disease as

those with the lowest intake, a new study finds.

 

" This study just reinforces the idea that trans fat is bad -- worse

than saturated fat -- and we need to make a concerted effort to

reduce trans fats, including individuals, food manufacturers and

policy-makers, " said

Dr. Frank Hu, senior author of the study and an associate professor

of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health

in Boston.

 

Results of Hu's study are expected to be published in the April 10

issue of the American Heart Association's journal,Circulation.

 

Trans fats, also called hydrogenated fats, are man-made compounds

made from processed liquid oils. These harmful fats will raise bad

cholesterol and could lower a person's good cholesterol levels.

Because

these fats are so thick and stiff, they can also clog up arteries

and blood vessels, which can lead to heart attack or stroke.

 

Trans fats are commonly found in processed foods such as potato

chips, cookies, doughnuts, cakes and many fast foods.

 

Previous research had already implicated dietary trans fat as a

major player in the development of heart disease. However, past

research had been done using self-reported dietary information. The

current study

includes an objective measure of trans fat intake -- trans fat

levels in red blood cells. Hu explained that because red blood cells

live for six

months or more, trans fat levels in those cells are a good indicator

of average trans fat intake.

 

The Harvard team examined blood samples collected from almost 33,000

women participating in the ongoing Nurse's Health Study. During the

six-year study period, 166 women developed heart disease. The

researchers then pulled information on 327 healthy women to serve as

controls.

 

The women were grouped into four different quartiles based on the

levels of trans fats in their blood.

 

The researchers found that women in the fourth quartile -- those

with the highest trans fat levels -- had three times the risk of

heart disease when compared to women with the lowest levels -- those

in the

lowest quartile. Women in the second and third quartile had a 60

percent greater risk of heart disease.

 

Hu and his colleagues also estimated the average daily trans fat

intake from the trans fat blood levels. Women in the lowest quartile

were estimated to have an average daily trans fat intake of 2.5

grams, while women in the highest quartile were estimated to take in

3.6 grams per

day intake of trans fats. Hu stressed that these averages should be

considered rough estimates.

 

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) estimates that the

average

American diet contains about 5.8 grams of trans fat daily. The

American

Heart Association advises that trans fat should make up no more than

one

percent of your daily caloric intake.

 

Although no men were included in this study, Hu said he believes the

findings are also applicable to men.

 

High Trans Fat Intake Triples Heart Disease Risk

 

" Trans fats are a dangerous and unnecessary component of our diet.

When

you look at data like this, it's scary. Just a small change gives

you a

great increase in risk, " said Dr. Nieca Goldberg, medical director

of

the Women's Health Program at New York University Medical Center and

author ofThe Women's Healthy Heart Program: Lifesaving Strategies

for

Preventing and Healing Heart Disease in Women.

 

" People really need to be aware of trans fat and take it out of

their

diets, " she said, adding that the FDA's recent labeling change --

introduced in January 2006 -- makes it easier for people to know

what's

in packaged foods. It's still difficult to know what's in restaurant

or

fast foods, however.

 

 

 

But Goldberg believes that a law recently passed in New York City to

ban

restaurants from serving foods containing trans fat after 2008

may " have

a domino effect " across the country. However, until that law takes

effect, she suggests avoiding fried foods and ordering fruit for

dessert

when eating out.

 

When buying packaged goods, look for foods that have no trans fat.

However, under current rules, products with 0.5 grams or less trans

fat

can label their products as having zero grams of trans fat. That

means

if you have four foods with 0.5 grams of trans fat each, you've

unwittingly eaten two grams of trans fat. Given that this study

found

that averaging just one extra gram daily can significantly increase

your

heart disease risk, Hu said the labeling is probably " something we

should consider. "

 

In the meantime, if a product is labeled zero grams of trans fat,

but

the ingredient list includes " partially hydrogenated vegetable oil, "

the

fooddoescontains some trans fat, Hu noted.

 

More information

 

To learn more about trans fats, visit the American Heart Association.

 

SOURCES: Frank Hu, M.D., Ph.D., associate professor, nutrition and

epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Mass.; Nieca

Goldberg, M.D., medical director, Women's Health Program, New York

University Medical Center, and author,The Women's Healthy Heart

Program:

Lifesaving Strategies for Preventing and Healing Heart Disease in

Women;

April 10, 2007,Circulation

 

 

 

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