Association of ultra-processed foods with cardiovascular disease and hypertension in australian women

Abstract

Abstract Background Ultra-processed food (UPF) intake has increased in the past few decades, yet knowledge around the long-term effects on cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk is limited. Moreover, the magnitude of the impact of UPF intake on CVD in Australia has not been established. Objective To investigate the association of UPF intake with incident CVD and hypertension in a population-based cohort of middle-aged women. Methods Women aged 46-55 years were prospectively recruited into the Australian Longitudinal Study on Women’s Health and followed for 15 years. UPFs were defined according to the NOVA classification, and the contribution of these foods to total dietary intake was estimated. Outcomes were incident CVD (self-reported heart disease/stroke) and/or hypertension. Logistic regression models assessed the association between UFP intake and endpoints with adjustment made for confounders. Results A total 10,006 women (mean age 52.5±1.5) with an average UPF intake of 26.6% of total food dietary intake (mean 347.8 g/d) were included. Over 15 years of follow-up, 1,038 incident CVD and 4,204 hypertension cases occurred. Higher UPF intake was associated with higher risk of CVD (ptrend=0.05) and hypertension (ptrend=0.02). The highest intake of UPF (mean 42% of total food intake) versus the lowest UPF intake (mean 14.2% of total food intake) was associated with incident CVD [odds ratio (OR) 1.35, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.03-1.78; p=0.03)] and hypertension [OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.06-1.66; p=0.01]. Conclusion In middle-aged women, a higher intake of ultra-processed food was associated with increased CVD risk and hypertension. These findings lend support to minimising UPF intake as a component of a heart-healthy diet.