Egg yolks linked to heart disease

 

Roger Dobson
Saturday 04 August 2012 21:21 BST
Comments
The build-up of carotid plaque is greater the more egg yolks people eat
The build-up of carotid plaque is greater the more egg yolks people eat (Getty Images)

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

Don't go to work on an egg. Or at least not more than twice a week, particularly if you're at risk from heart disease. According to new Canadian research, the more egg yolks people eat, the worse the effect on blood vessels. Results of the study show that the build-up of carotid plaque, a waxy substance that clogs blood vessels and which is linked to reduced blood flow and higher risk of cardiovascular disease, is greater the more egg yolks people eat.

"Our results suggest a strong association between egg consumption and carotid plaque burden," the researchers say. "The effect size of egg yolks appears to be approximately two-thirds that of smoking. We believe our study makes it imperative to reassess the role of egg yolks, and dietary cholesterol in general, as a risk factor for heart disease."

The study, reported in the journal Atherosclerosis, assessed the affects of eating eggs by nearly 1,200 people, with an average age of 61. Results show that the carotid plaque area grew with age after 40, but increased exponentially with the number of years of smoking and egg yolk eating.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in