An increase in carbohydrates and decrease in saturated fats leads to a rise in heart attack risk

This study was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2010 Jun;91(6):1764-8

 

Study title and authors:

Intake of carbohydrates compared with intake of saturated fatty acids and risk of myocardial infarction: importance of the glycemic index.

Jakobsen MU, Dethlefsen C, Joensen AM, Stegger J, Tjønneland A, Schmidt EB, Overvad K.

Department of Clinical Epidemiology Aarhus University Hospital, Aalborg, Denmark. muj@dce.au.dk muj@dce.au.dk

 

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20375186

The study aimed to investigate the risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) associated with a higher intake from carbohydrates and a concomitant lower intake from saturated fats. The study included 53,644 participants who were followed for 12 years.

The study found that for every 5% increase in carbohydrate consumption and concomitant 5% decrease in saturated fat consumption there was a 4% increase in the risk of a heart attack.

Further reading:
Cholesterol and Saturated Fat Prevent Heart Disease - Evidence from 101 Scientific Papers