New research confirms that sticking to a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and fish can slash heart failure risk by 41 percent. By contrast, a diet rich in fats, fried foods, processed meat, and sugary drinks can raise the risk of this condition.

Heart failure occurs when the heart cannot supply enough blood and oxygen to the main organs in the body.  The condition affects about 5.7 million people in the United States and approximately 26 million people worldwide.  Some experts predict that heart failure will become more and more prevalent worldwide, which has led them to refer to it as a “global pandemic.”

An growing body of evidence suggests that a diet consisting mainly of fruits and vegetables can prevent cardiovascular disease. Now, a new study strengthens this idea.  This study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.  examined the associations between five major dietary patterns and the risk of heart failure among people without any known history of heart disease.

The effect of diets on heart failure

The researchers examined data available from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study.  They looked at the dietary patterns among 16,068 black and white people who were 45 years old, on average.  The study participants answered a 150 question survey, which included 107 food items. The researchers grouped the foods into five dietary patterns:

• Convenience.  Diets consisting of meat-heavy dishes, pasta, pizza, and fast food
• Plant-based. Diets consisting mainly of vegetables, fruit, beans, and fish
• Southern. Diets composed of significant amounts of fried foods, processed meat, eggs, added fats, and sugary drinks

• Alcohol/salads. Diets that included lots of wine, liquor, beer, leafy greens, and salad dressing.

The researchers followed the participants for 8.7 years on average, during which time, 363 people spent time in the hospital for heart failure for the first time.  Of these, 133 people had heart failure with little to no decrease in the hearts pumping ability (preserved ejection fraction), and 157 had heart failure with a measurable decrease in heart pumping ability (reduced ejection fraction).

Plant-based diets slash heart failure risk

The researchers found that adhering to the Southern diet increased the risk of hospitalization due to heart failure by 72 percent.  But when the researchers adjusted for body mass index (BMI), “waist circumference, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus, atrial fibrillation, and chronic kidney disease,” this association became no longer significant.  This could mean that the Southern diet raises heart failure risk by increasing obesity and abdominal fat.

In contrast the researchers found that the risk of heart failure hospitalizations was 41 percent lower among people who adhered to the plant-based diet.

Finally, the researchers found no significant association among heart failure risk and the other three dietary patterns.

This study represents an important step forward in establishing a robust evidence base for the dietary prevention of heart failure.”