REACTIVE BLOOD VESSELS
HOW RISKY IS EATING A HIGH FAT MEAL FOR YOUR HEART? ELIZABETH TRACEY REPORTS
When you consume a high fat meal are you putting yourself at immediate risk for a cardiovascular event, as implied by terms like ‘heart attack on a plate’? As part of a study assessing the health impact of high fat diets, Kerry Stewart and colleagues at Johns Hopkins looked at the responsiveness or elasticity of blood vessels after subjects consumed a high fat meal.
STEWART: We just wanted to see if a high fat meal has any adverse effects on vascular health. We gave a test in which we measured what’s called vascular reactivity. It’s the ability of the blood vessels to respond to a stressor and to the extent that they relax or contract is a marker of vascular health. :23
Turns out that the acute response of blood vessels was not compromised by eating a lot of fat, news that should reassure those who choose such diets for weight loss. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.
