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Grilling, high-temperature cooking may confer increased hypertension risk
Grilling and high-temperature cooking is associated with increased rates of hypertension among patients who eat red and white meat, according to a poster presentation from the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions.
“Although some studies have suggested that higher intake of red meat, especially processed red meat, is associated with higher risk of hypertension, the associations of chicken or fish intake with hypertension risk remain inconsistent,” Gang Liu, PhD, postdoctoral research fellow in the department of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told Cardiology Today. “These previous studies did not take into account one important factor — different meat cooking methods. In addition, heterocyclic aromatic amines (HAAs) intake, produced during high temperature cooking of meats, in relation to hypertension risk is unknown. Therefore, our study aimed to examine the associations of open-flame and/or high-temperature cooking methods of different types of meats, doneness preferences, and estimated HAAs intake with risk of developing hypertension in U.S. men and women who consumed meat regularly.”
Liu and colleagues conducted a study of more than 100,000 people from three cohorts who were free from hypertension, diabetes, CVD and cancer at baseline. There were 37,123 documented incidences of hypertension during 1.06 million person-years of follow-up.
The researchers adjusted for covariates, including total consumption of red meats, chicken and fish, and found that a higher frequency of open-flame and/or high-temperature cooking and a preference for higher meat doneness level were both independently associated with increased risk for hypertension.
When comparing patients who cooked on an open flame or used another form of high-temperature cooking technique more than 15 times per month vs. patients who cooked on an open flame or other high-temperature cooking fewer than four times a month, the pooled HR for hypertension was 1.17 (95% CI, 1.12-1.21; P for trend < .001).
When comparing the extreme quartiles of meat doneness level score, the pooled HR of hypertension was 1.15 (95% CI; 1.12-1.19; P for trend < .001).
According to Liu and colleagues, when data were analyzed by individual meat groups, the association between high-temperature cooking and hypertension persisted.
Among those who ate at least two servings of red meat, chicken or fish a week, the risk for developing hypertension was higher in those who were estimated to have consumed the highest levels of HAAs compared with those with less frequent intake (pooled HR = 1.16, 95% CI 1.13-1.21; P for trend <.001).
“Our findings suggest that it may help reduce the risk of high blood pressure if you don’t eat the meat cooked well done, and avoid the use of open-flame and/or high-temperature cooking methods, including grilling/barbequing and broiling,” Liu said.– by Dave Quaile
Reference:
Liu G, et al. Abstract P184. Presented at: American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions; March 20-23, 2018; New Orleans.
Disclosure: The study was funded by the NHLBI. Liu reports no relevant financial disclosures.