Link between red meat consumption and heart disease found

This was revealed in a new medical study presented at an online meeting of the European Society of Cardiology.

The study involved about 20,000 people and found that excessive consumption of red and roasted meat impairs heart function. Experts involved in the study from Queen Mary University in the UK said that previous research had shown a link between excessive consumption of red meat and the risk of death from a heart attack or heart disease.

"But for the first time, we examined the relationship between red meat consumption and heart health, which will help us understand the mechanism that causes heart disease," he said.

The study examined data from more than 19,400 people obtained from UK Biobank. The researchers analyzed the effects of red and processed meat consumption on the heart and its functions. The analysis observed 3 aspects of heart health: heart function, heart structure and flexibility of the arteries of the heart.

After considering other factors such as age, sex, education, smoking, alcohol, exercise, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and body weight, the researchers found that excessive consumption of red and processed meat had the worst effects on heart health.

The researchers found that greater intake of red and processed meat was associated with worse imaging measures of heart health, across all measures studied. Specifically, individuals with higher meat intake had smaller ventricles, poorer heart function, and stiffer arteries -- all markers of worse cardiovascular health.

As a comparison, the researchers also tested the relationships between heart imaging measures and intake of oily fish, which has previously been linked with better heart health. They found that as the amount of oily fish consumption rose, heart function improved, and arteries were stretchier.

Earlier last year, a joint study by Northwestern Medicine University and Cornell University in the United States found that consumption of red and processed meat increased the risk of heart disease and death.

Research has shown that consuming red meat, processed meat or chicken (not fish) just twice a week can increase the risk of coronary heart disease by 3 to 7%.

Similarly, eating red or processed meat (not chicken or fish) twice a week increases the risk of dying from any cause by 3%.

Researchers believed that precautionary measures in the use of animal protein foods could help reduce the risk of heart disease and early death.