Limited fresh food access linked to heart disease

A lack of accessible fresh food may increase the risk of developing the signs of early heart disease, according to research published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.

In the study, researchers explored how a limited availability of recreational facilities, healthy food stores, neighbourhood walkability and social environments may contribute to the early stages of atherosclerosis (a disease that hardens arteries and underlies many types of heart disease).

The study examined 5950 adults enrolled in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) over a 12-year follow-up period.

After researchers excluded other features in these communities, including recreational centres, the data suggested that decreased access to heart-healthy food stores is the common thread in more rapid progression of coronary atherosclerosis in middle-aged and older individuals.

“We found that healthy food stores within one mile of their home was the only significant factor that reduced or slowed the progression of calcium build-up in coronary arteries,” said Ella August, the co-lead author who initiated the study and clinical assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. “Our results point to a need for greater awareness of the potential health threat posed by the scarcity of healthy grocery options in certain neighbourhoods.”

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