Ultra-processed foods linked to heart disease, especially among people with unhealthy diets

Regularly eating ultra-processed food is associated with an elevated risk of heart disease, according to new research presented at ESC Congress 2021.

The study's authors set out to examine the link between consuming ultra-processed foods such as ready-made meals, fast food, desserts and salty snacks and developing cardiovascular disease over a 10-year period.

“Evidence is accumulating for an association between ultra-processed foods and increased risks of several chronic diseases," study author Matina Kouvari, MSc, PhD, a specialist at Harokopio University of Athens in Greece, said in a prepared statement. "Our study suggests that the detrimental relationship with cardiovascular disease is even stronger in those with a generally unhealthy diet."

The authors examined data from the ATTICA prospective study, which was originally conducted between 2001 and 2012. That study included 2,020 participants, including 1,014 women and 1,006 men, and the mean patient age was 45 years old.

All participants were free of cardiovascular disease and were asked about their eating habits from the past seven days. 

Each person's habits were then compared to the Mediterranean diet, which focuses on fruit, vegetables and whole grains. Participants were given a score of 0 to 55, with a higher number meaning they came closer to following the Mediterranean diet. 

In the analysis, participants ate an average of approximately 15 servings of ultra-processed foods per week. During the 10-year follow-up period, 317 cardiovascular events occurred.

According to the study's authors, the incidence of cardiovascular disease was consistently higher as ultra-processed food consumption increased.

For participants with an average weekly consumption of 7.5, 13 and 18 servings, for example, the frequency of cardiovascular disease was 8.1%, 12.2%, and 16.6%, respectively.