According to the American Heart Association, heart disease is the leading killer of American men and women, resulting in over 445,000 deaths each year. Eighteen thousand adults will experience some form of angina, or reduced blood flow to the heart. Heart disease often begins early in life, with symptoms first appearing during middle age--the most productive years of life. Decades of sedentary living and diets with high levels of cholesterol and saturated fat are the leading causes of coronary heart disease. However, a recent study questions the evidence linking saturated fat and heart disease.
Primary Risk Factors for Heart Disease
The primary risk factors for heart disease are obesity, cigarette smoking, diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol. For years, experts have readily accepted the association between diets high in saturated fats and heart disease. In 2006, the American Heart Association's Nutrition Committee issued its "Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations Revision 2006." The purpose of the statement was to offer the public a series of goals to lower the incidence of heart disease. These included aiming for optimal body weight, maintaining a desirable blood lipid profile, maintaining normal blood pressure, managing risks for diabetes, quitting smoking, being physically active and eating a heart healthy diet.
The Traditional Beliefs
Traditional beliefs have supported the relationship of a heart-healthy diet with a reduced risk for heart disease. A heart-healthy diet is defined as a diet rich in fruits and vegetables, whole-grain and high-fiber foods, eating fish twice a week and limiting saturated fat intake to less than 7 percent of total daily calories. Trans fats should be limited to less than 1 and total daily cholesterol intake to less than 300 mg per day. The AHA 2006 statement suggests that diets low in saturated fats and trans fats can reduce the incidence of heart disease and outlines specific guidelines for a heart healthy diet.
New Studies and Evidence
In 2009, Mente published the results of his study in the Archives of Internal Medicine, looking at a link between dietary factors and coronary heart disease. Researchers looked at epidemiological evidence linking diet to heart disease and a series of randomized trials where individuals were or were not subjected to a diet low in saturated fat. They found that factors like increasing consumption of alcohol, fiber, fish, fruit, nuts monounsaturated fat and whole grains reduced the risk for heart disease. They also found that increasing trans fatty foods and carbohydrates high on the glycemic index increased the risk for coronary artery disease. Notably missing was any evidence that saturated fat increased the risk for heart disease.
Does Saturated Fat Cause Heart Disease?
Whether or not you choose to believe the results of either body of evidence is a personal matter. As the incidence of heart disease continues to increase, more studies are likely to look at the relationship between diet and heart disease. For the present, prudence might suggest continuing to eat the traditional heart-healthy diet.
