Atkins-Like Diets May Increase Risk of Heart Disease

Posted by admin

June 30, 2012

Ever try the Atkins diet? Diets low in carbohydrates and high in proteins may increase the risk of heart disease, according to a new study published in the journal BMJ.

A group of European researchers led by Pagona Lagiou of the University of Athens Medical School in Greece assessed the diets of more than 43,000 Swedish women ages 30 to 49, and followed them for an average of almost 16 years. Women who consumed a diet consisting of low carbohydrate and high protein intake were at a 5 percent higher risk of cardiovascular disease later. By the end of the end of the study period, 1,270 women developed heart disease.

Consuming as little as 20 fewer grams of carbohydrates and 5 more grams of protein per day accounted for the increase, the researchers found.

The actual number of women who developed heart disease was small — about four or five extra cases per 10,000 women per year — but the authors said that amounted to a considerable number over time.

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