Food Insecurity Linked To Higher Odds Of Heart Disease
Food insecurity, which affects about one in eight households in the U.S. each year, is associated with difficulties in accessing sufficient, nutritious food necessary for good health. Now, a study by researchers at Northwestern Medicine highlights a significant link between food insecurity in young adults and an increased risk of heart disease in midlife.
The study tracked 3,616 participants from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study. The research focused on people who reported food insecurity between 2000 and 2001 and followed their health outcomes over the next 20 years. The researchers found that people who struggled to afford enough nutritious food in their early 30s to mid-40s had a 41 percent higher chance of developing cardiovascular disease by midlife compared to those who were food secure. This increased risk remained even after accounting for various demographic and socioeconomic factors. According to the study’s lead author, while food insecurity and heart disease have often been linked, this study is the first to show that food insecurity precedes heart disease.
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