Why heart failure risk is 'doubled by sausages' and other processed meats

A Swedish study found that men who regularly eat processed meat such as ham and sausages are 50% more likely to suffer from heart failure.

16:21 13 June 2014

A Swedish study, which looked at 37,035 men, found that those who eat an average of two sausages per day are twice as likely to die from heart failure when compared to those men who rarely eat processed meat such as bacon, ham, and burgers. 

 

However, the study found that eating ordinary, leaner cuts of red meat such as steak does not have the same negative effect. 

 

Because of this, the researchers conclude that the salt and other chemicals added during processing may be the reason for high blood pressure which leads to heart failure. 

 

Lead author Professor Alicja Wolk, of the Institute of Environmental Medicine at the Karolinska Institutet in Stockholm, Sweden said: "High consumption of processed meat, but not unprocessed red meat, may increase the risk of heart failure.

 

"Processed red meat commonly contains sodium, nitrates, phosphates and other food additives, and smoked and grilled meats also contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, all of which may contribute to the increased heart failure risk.

 

"Unprocessed meat is free from food additives and usually has a lower amount of sodium." 

 

Joanna Kaluza assistant professor in the Department of Human Nutrition at Warsaw University of Life Sciences in Poland, who also carried out the research said: "To reduce your risk of heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases, we suggest avoiding processed red meat in your diet, and limiting the amount of unprocessed red meat to one to two servings per week or less.

 

"Instead, eat a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, whole grain products, nuts and increase your servings of fish."