Processed meat increased heart disease risk

A new systematic review and meta-analysis of 20 studies involving more than 1.2 millions people from 10 countries found that processed meat such as bacon, salami, sausages, hot dogs and processed deli, was linked to increased risk of heart disease and diabetes, but red meat was not.

Participants were followed up to 18 years and found that those who ate 50 gram a day of processed red meat had 42% higher risk of heart disease and 19% higher risk of type 2 diabetes than those who did not eat processed red meat.

Researchers said that the processed meat contain much higher salt and preservatives ( rather than fats) than unprocessed meat and this could explain the difference. They found the same even when lifestyle factors were taken into account and suggested that these types of meats should be studied separately in future research.

Source: "Red and Processed Meat Consumption and Risk of Incident Coronary Heart Disease, Stroke, and Diabetes Mellitus. A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis". Circulation. 2010 Published online before print May 17, 2010 ( f/t via Athens)

Working overtime is bad for your heart

According to a study of 6000 British civil servants published online in the European Heart Journal, people who regularly work overtime have higher risk of developing coronary heart disease than those who do not.

The study involved over 6000 men and women aged between 39 and 61 who did not have heart disease and worked full time at the start of the study. Researchers found those who worked 3 to 4 hours of overtime a day had 60% higher risk of developing heart disease, overtime work was also associated with lower HDL cholesterol ( good cholesterol).

Experts said the study highlights the importance of work-life balance but note that the link was only found in association with 3-4 hours oertime a day. The lead researcher said more research is needed.

Source: Overtime work and incident coronary heart disease: the Whitehall II prospective cohort study. Eur Heart J (2010). First published online: May 11, 2010 ( f/t via Athens)

Food packaging chemical links to diabetes and heart disease

Multiple newspapers reported a study published in JAMA that found higher level of bisphenol A (BPA), a chemical widely used in food and drink packaging, in adults' urine increased the risk of heart disease and diabetes.

Researchers looked at the data of a survey that assessed the health and diet of the general US population invloving 1455 adults aged 18 - 74 to investigate associations between BPA concentrations in urine and adult health status.

Critics say that this is the first cross-sectional study on this subject, it can only show the relationships between exposure and risk but it cannot prove BPA cause these chronic diseases. Further research will be needed to confirm these findings.

Source: Lang IA, Galloway TS, Scarlett A, et al. Association of Urinary Bisphenol A Concentration With Medical Disorders and Laboratory Abnormalities in Adults. JAMA 2008; 300(11):1303-1310

Work stress raises heart risk

A new study involving 10,000 civil servants aged between 35 and 55 over 12 years found that chronic work stress raised the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and this association was stronger among the under 50.

Stress appeared to undermine the autonomic nervous system that controls the heart and the variability of the heart rate. Researchers also found higher levels of the stress hormone in workers who reported stressful job.

Source: "Work stress and coronary heart disease: what are the mechanisms?" European Heart Journal, published online on January 23, 2008 (free f/t)

Childhood obesity has lifelong effects

According to 2 studies published in this week's NEJM, children worldwide are gaining excessive weight that causes serious health problems in their adulthood.

The studies found that high body mass index in childhood increases the risk of coronary heart disease in adulthood. The authors said that healthy food and physical activities are the keys to prevent this health problem, but a national strategy involving parents to help these children to maintain an appropraite weight to reduce the future risk of heart disease is urgently needed.

Source:"Childhood Body-Mass Index and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Adulthood" NEJM 357(23):2329-2337 (free full text)


"Adolescent Overweight and Future Adult Coronary Heart Disease" NEJM 357(23):2371-2379
(free full text)