990306 Iron Content of Meat Linked to Heart Attack

New York - Elderly individuals are at greater risk of having a fatal heart attack if they consume a diet that is rich in heme iron, according to a study conducted in the Netherlands.

In a study of more than 4,800 people, those who consumed the highest amounts of heme iron -- found in meat, fish, and poultry -- had almost double the risk of heart attack compared with those who consumed the lowest levels.

Further analysis of the data “indicated that the association of heme iron with (heart attack) was more pronounced in fatal cases,” the researchers write.

During the 4-year study, 124 of the subjects had either a fatal or non-fatal heart attack, reported Dr. Kerstin Klipstein-Grobusch from the Erasmus University Medical School in Rotterdam, and colleagues in the American Journal of Epidemiology.

Those who had the lowest daily total dietary iron had an average intake of 9.3 milligrams, while those in the highest level had an average daily intake of 14.3 milligrams -- although total iron was not related to heart attack risk. Average daily intakes for heme iron were 0.48 milligrams and 1.36 milligrams for the lowest and highest consumers, respectively.

The authors note that the association between elevated levels of heme iron and heart attack in the presence of other risk factors is “compatible with the hypothesis that iron plays a role in promoting LDL cholesterol oxidation,” thereby increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

The team concludes that “a high dietary heme iron intake increases the risk of myocardial infarction in the presence of other risk factors and may specifically affect its fatality.”

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