Normal weight men who consume red meats, such as beef and pork, have a 40% higher risk of stroke compared to men who eat the lowest amount of red meats, according to a new study published in the journal Stroke.
Researchers at the Warsaw University of Life Sciences conducted a study to examine the associations between heme iron and nonheme iron intake and stroke incidence in men.
The population-based prospective Cohort of Swedish Men included 38,859 men, aged 45 to 79 years who had no history of stroke, coronary heart disease or cancer at baseline. During an 11-year follow-up, 3,097 incident cases of stroke, including 2,482 cerebral infarctions and 450 intracerebral hemorrhages, were registered.
Men with the highest quintiles of heme iron intake were 16% and 15% more likely to suffer total stroke and cerebral infarction, respectively, compared to men with the lowest quintiles of heme iron intake. Among men with normal body mass indexes, those with the highest quintiles of heme iron intake were 40% and 38% more likely to suffer total stroke and cerebral infarction, respectively, compared to men with the lowest quintiles of heme iron intake. No association was observed among overweight and obese men; no association was observed between nonheme iron intake and risk of total stroke and stroke types.
