Long-term processed and unprocessed red meat consumption and risk of heart failure: A prospective cohort study of women.

A surge in the risk of heart failure is associated with women who are regular consumers of processed meat products.

This study investigated the relationship between the consumption of processed and unprocessed red meat and the incidence of heart failure in women. Using self administered food frequency questionnaires, researchers examined the diets of 34,057 cardiovascular-disease-free women between the ages of 48-83 years who were recruited from the Swedish Mammography Cohort. The heart failure odds ratios of all the participants in this study were also determined.

Researchers discovered a high incidence of heart failure among subjects with high dietary intake of processed meat products. In contrast, unprocessed red meat was found not to have any effect on the risk of heart failure in this study. The results of this study show that women who frequently eat processed meats are more likely to suffer from heart failure.