Popular diet doubles risk of heart attack
At the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Conference of Cardiologists in March, Iulia Iatan presented one of the first studies to look at the effect of the keto diet on cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease.
“Our study found that a consistently low-carb, high-fat diet was associated with higher levels of LDL cholesterol — or “bad” cholesterol — and an increased risk of cardiovascular disease,” said the cardiologist, who works at St Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, Canada, works.
Iatan and her research team used data from the UK Biobank, which contains health records of over half a million Britons, all of whom were followed for at least ten years.
The researchers focused on 305 Britons who indicated in initial questionnaires that they get no more than 25 percent of their daily calories from carbohydrates and at least 45 percent from fats.
The followers of the keto diet were then compared with a control group of 1220 Britons who did get the majority of their calories from carbohydrates.
Nearly one in ten in the keto group developed cardiovascular disease, compared to only one in twenty with a normal diet. In addition, the BMI was one percentage point higher on a keto diet.
Bad cholesterol blocks the arteries.
Previous studies have also shown that high-fat diets can increase what is known as LDL cholesterol. Low Density Lipoprotein cholesterol consists almost entirely of apolipoprotein B, which allows our cells to bind and transport fat.
This protein is also a prime suspect for causing thrombosis because it clumps together in the blood vessels.
The new study provides further evidence for the link between high cholesterol, apolipoprotein B and the risk of cardiovascular disease.
People react differently
“We showed that the participants on a keto diet who had the highest risk of cardiovascular disease also had the highest LDL cholesterol levels,” Iulia Iatan told the New Orleans conference.
She also stressed that this study shows that people respond differently to a high-fat diet. Iatan recommends keto enthusiasts make an appointment with their GP in advance.
“If you follow the diet, it is advisable to have your cholesterol levels checked regularly and to keep a close eye on other risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, lack of exercise and smoking,” the cardiologist warned. .