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2007-9-3 23:10:47 |
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Eating too much of heme iron and or red meat may increase the risk of coronary heart disease in women with diabetes, according to a new study by Harvard researchers. Those who consumed the highest amounts of heme iron were 50 percent more likely to have coronary heart disease (CHD) compared to those consumed the lowest, Lu Qi, MD, PHD from the Department of Nutrition, Harvard School of Public Health and colleagues reported. From the study, Lu Qi and team wanted to know how long-term consumption of red meat and dietary iron would affect coronary heart disease risk in diabetes. Prior evidence indicates that diabetes-related metabolic abnormality may worsen the adverse effects of iron overload on cardiovascular health. Lu Qi and colleagues followed 6,161 women who reported a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes from 1980 through 2000 for incidence of CHD. 550 incident cases were recorded during the period. High intakes of both heme iron and red meat were linked with a significantly higher risk of fatal CHD, coronary revascularization and total CHD, the researchers found. Those who consumed the highest amounts of heme iron had a 50 percent increased risk of total CHD compared to those consuming the lowest amounts. The association was still significant even when risk factors related to lifestyle and dietary factors were considered. Further, the association between heme iron and red meat intakes and CHD was significantly stronger among postmenopausal women than premenopsausal women. The researchers concluded that higher intakes of heme iron and red meat may increase CHD risk among women with diabetes. Meat consumption has already linked to increased risk of heart disease in earlier studies. One major study published in the February 2005 issue of the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that those who ate the most meat were at the greatest risk for heart disease. The study followed 29,000 participants. |
