Saturated fat consumption is associated with a reduced risk of stroke

This study was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association 1997 Dec 24-31;278(24):2145-50

Study title and authors:

Inverse association of dietary fat with development of ischemic stroke in men.
Gillman MW, Cupples LA, Millen BE, Ellison RC, Wolf PA.
Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention, Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care, Boston, MA 02215, USA.

This study can be accessed at: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9417007

 

The objective of the study was to examine the association of stroke incidence with the intake of fat and type of fat among middle-aged men. The study included 832 men, aged 45 to 65 years who were followed for 20 years.

 

The study found:

(a) For every 3% increase in fat consumption the men had a 15% reduced risk of stroke.

(b) For every 1% increase in saturated fat consumption the men had a 9% reduced risk of stroke.

 

The study reveals that total fat and saturated fat consumption are associated with a reduced risk of stroke in men.