Fried food, sodas raise risk of heart disease by 56%

Miami

PEOPLE who consume lots of fried food and sugary drinks have a 56 per cent higher risk of heart disease compared to those who eat healthier, US researchers said on Monday. The findings in Circulation, a journal of the American Heart Association, were based on a six-year study of more than 17,000 people in the United States. Researchers found that people who regularly ate what was described as a Southern style diet - fried foods, eggs, processed meats such as bacon and ham, and sugary drinks - faced the highest risk of a heart attack or heart-related death during the next six years.

"Regardless of your gender, race, or where you live, if you frequently eat a Southern-style diet you should be aware of your risk of heart disease and try to make some gradual changes to your diet," said lead researcher James Shikany, a nutritional epidemiologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham's Division of Preventive Medicine.