Ultra-processed foods account for up to 58% of all food in the United States, but their association with cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains understudied. The authors investigated the association between ultra-processed foods and CVD morbidity and mortality in a prospective Framingham study. The study included 3003 people without CVD at baseline. Data on diet, anthropometric indicators, as well as socio-demographic factors and lifestyle were collected every four years from 1991 to 2008. Ultra-processed foods have been identified according to NOVA criteria. The authors of the study analyzed the relationship between consumption of ultra-processed food (calorie-adjusted portions per day) and CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD), overall cardiovascular morbidity, and CVD mortality. During follow-up (from 1991 to 2014/2017), the authors of the study identified 251, 163 and 648 cases of severe CVD, severe coronary artery disease and general cardiovascular morbidity, respectively. On average, participants consumed 7.5 servings of ultra-processed foods per day at baseline. Each additional daily serving of ultra-processed foods was associated with a 7% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.03 to 1.12), 9% (95% CI: 1.04 to 1.15), 5% (95% CI: 1.02 to 1.08), and 9% (95% CI: 1.02 to 1.16) increase in the risk of hard CVD, hard CHD, overall CVD, and CVD mortality, respectively.
Current results confirm that higher consumption of ultra-processed foods is associated with an increased risk of morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease. However, more research is needed among ethnically diverse populations.
