Increased risk of heart failure for those living near fast-food restaurants

Fast-food restaurants and bars commonly serve unhealthy foods and drinks that have been linked to cardiovascular disease, according to lead study author Lou Qi, a professor in the Department of Epidemiology at Tulane University in New Orleans.

The study was conducted on data on half a million adults aged 37-73 from the British Biobank database.

Researchers measured participants’ exposure to three types of eating establishments: bars/pubs, restaurants/cafes and fast food restaurants. Exposure was determined based on proximity (living within one kilometre or a 15-minute walk) and density (number of fast food outlets within one kilometre).

The study

The study recorded nearly 13000 cases of heart failure over a 12-year follow-up period and found that greater proximity and density of ready-to-eat food outlets was associated with an increased risk of heart failure.

Overall, participants who lived in an area with a higher density of convenience stores (an area with eleven or more convenience stores within one kilometre) had a 16% greater risk of heart failure compared with those who did not have convenience stores close to their home.

Those in areas with the highest density of pubs and bars had a 14% higher risk of heart failure, while those living in areas with the highest density of fast food outlets had a 12% higher risk.

Participants living closer to pubs and bars, less than 500 metres away, had a 13% higher risk of heart failure, while those living closer to fast food outlets had a 10% higher risk compared to those living more than two kilometres away.

The association between dietary environment and increased risk of heart failure was strongest among those without a university degree and those who lived in urban areas without access to physical activity facilities such as gyms.