Potato consumption not linked to coronary heart illness or hypertension

New meta-analysis finds no vital affiliation, however fried potatoes could increase hypertension threat.

Examine: Potato Consumption and Threat of Cardiovascular Illness in a Harmonized Evaluation of Seven Potential Cohorts. Picture Credit score: Emre Batarlar/Shutterstock.com

In a current article in Vitamins, researchers explored whether or not consuming potatoes raises the chance of hypertension and coronary heart illness.

They discovered that whereas consuming potatoes didn’t seem like linked to the possibilities of creating both sickness, consuming fried potatoes greater than as soon as per week may improve hypertension.

Background

Coronary heart illness is a number one reason for mortality in the USA, with hypertension affecting a big portion of the inhabitants. About 75% of Individuals are anticipated to develop hypertension, which may result in critical well being points like coronary heart illness, coronary heart failure, and continual kidney illness, rising healthcare prices and reducing high quality of life.

Figuring out way of life components that may scale back the dangers of hypertension and coronary heart illness. A nutritious diet performs a key function in stopping these situations, however fewer than 3% of Individuals comply with the American Coronary heart Affiliation’s best dietary tips.

Potatoes are a standard meals worldwide, with their consumption steadily rising. Regardless of their excessive glycemic index, their excessive focus of water provides them low vitality density.

Analysis on the connection between potato consumption and the dangers of hypertension and coronary heart illness is restricted and inconsistent, and few research have examined the results of various preparation strategies (fried, mashed, boiled, and baked).

Earlier findings are blended, with some research exhibiting no hyperlink between complete consumption of potatoes and coronary coronary heart illness, whereas others, just like the Million Veteran Program research, discovered the next threat related to consuming 5 or extra cups of boiled, baked, or mashed potatoes weekly.

Variations in outcomes could also be resulting from various strategies of study or insufficient consideration of preparation types.

Concerning the research

This research aimed to deal with these gaps by inspecting the affiliation between complete consumption of potatoes and the chance of creating hypertension and coronary heart illness throughout seven massive American cohorts.

Researchers additionally checked out how totally different preparation strategies, equivalent to fried, baked, mashed, or boiled potatoes, are linked to those situations. Contributors who already had these situations or incomplete potato consumption information have been excluded.

Potato consumption (fried, mashed, boiled, and baked) was measured utilizing validated meals questionnaires that recorded portion sizes and consumption frequency over the previous yr.

Whole consumption was calculated in servings per week, and mashed, boiled, and baked potatoes have been grouped. Potato chip information have been excluded.

Baseline information on age, intercourse, race, physique mass index, way of life, and food plan have been collected. Cox regression was used to calculate hazard ratios, adjusting for demographic, way of life, and well being components like diabetes and hypertension. Outcomes have been meta-analyzed utilizing statistical fashions.

Findings

The research analyzed information from 110,063 contributors throughout seven cohorts for coronary heart illness threat, with 67,146 contributors included in hypertension analyses resulting from information limitations in two cohorts. Contributors ranged in age from 25.1 to 72 years, with their common weekly potato consumption various between 1.9 servings and 4.2 servings.

No vital affiliation was discovered between complete potato consumption and coronary heart illness threat, even after adjusting for demographic, dietary, and way of life components. Equally, secondary analyses confirmed no hyperlink between the consumption of baked, boiled, fried, or mashed potatoes and coronary heart illness threat.

Whole potato consumption was not related to hypertension threat. Nevertheless, fried potato consumption was linked to the next threat of hypertension.

Contributors consuming multiple serving of fried potatoes per week had a ten% increased threat of hypertension in comparison with these consuming none. In distinction, baked, boiled, and mashed potatoes confirmed no statistical relationship with hypertension.

These findings spotlight that whereas the whole consumption of potatoes could not impression hypertension and coronary heart illness threat, fried potatoes could improve the chance of creating hypertension.

Conclusions

This meta-analysis of seven American cohorts discovered no vital hyperlink between potato consumption and the chance of hypertension and coronary heart illness. Equally, baked, boiled, and mashed potatoes weren’t related to both situation. Nevertheless, fried potato consumption was linked to a modestly increased threat of hypertension however not coronary heart illness.

Findings on potato consumption and coronary heart illness are according to earlier research, together with Swedish and American-based cohorts, which discovered no connection between complete potato consumption and coronary heart illness, stroke, or myocardial infarction.

In distinction, information from the Million Veteran Program steered a possible threat of coronary coronary heart illness with excessive consumption of mashed, boiled, or baked potatoes, warranting additional analysis.

For hypertension, no affiliation was noticed with complete or non-fried potato consumption. Nevertheless, fried potatoes, possible resulting from increased calorie content material, salt, and hyperlinks to unhealthy diets, have been related to an elevated threat of hypertension.

The research’s strengths embrace a big, various pattern and complete changes for confounders, although an observational design, baseline-only dietary information, and lack of preparation-specific analyses restrict the findings. Nevertheless, outcomes are particular to the USA and might not be generalizable to different areas.