Low-Carb Diet Doesn't Raise Women's Cardio Risk

Despite concerns that Atkins and similar low-carbohydrate diets may lead people to consume too much fat, the diets do not appear to raise the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in women, according to an analysis of 82,802 women in the Nurse's Health Study.

Investigators obtained surveys with validated food-frequency information and were able to calculate a “low-carb score” for each participant based on the proportion of energy derived from carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. A high score reflected a high level of energy from fat and a low contribution from carbohydrates. Scores were divided into deciles, from which researchers sought correlations with CHD.

During the 20 years in which the participants were followed, there were 1,994 new cases of CHD. Analysis revealed that the relative risk between the highest and lowest deciles of the low-carb score was 0.94, making it just about a wash. The consumption of mainly vegetable fats was associated with about a 24% reduction in CHD risk compared with the consumption of mainly animal fats.

Researchers found that the highest levels of glycemic load—a measure of how quickly carbohydrates are digested and absorbed—were associated with an increased risk of CHD.

“Diets lower in carbohydrates and higher in protein and fat are not associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease in women,” researchers conclude.