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People on ketogenic diets may be at a higher risk of cardiovascular disease
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This diet is associated with higher LDL, or bad cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B.
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The study was conducted by scientists at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
People who follow a ketogenic, low-carb, high-fat diet, also known as keto, may be at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, such as angina or stroke.
This suggests a study led by scientists from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, and presented at the World Congress of Cardiology in New Orleans (United States).
Higher LDL cholesterol levels with the keto diet
“Our study found that self-reported regular consumption of low-carbohydrate, high-fat diets with higher levels of LDL” or “bad cholesterol” and an increased risk of heart disease, said Dr. Iulia Iatan, an expert in cardiovascular prevention at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
“To our knowledge, our study is one of the first to look at associations between this type of diet pattern and cardiovascular outcomes,” he explained.
To complete the study, data on daily calorie intake and cholesterol levels from 70,684 people were examined from the British Biobank. Of these, they chose 305 participants who were following a keto-like diet and compared them with 1,220 people who did not eat this way.
During the 12-year follow-up, 9.8% of people on the ketogenic diet had a major cardiac event, compared with 4.3% of the other group.
In addition, they found that followers of this diet had higher levels of LDL cholesterol, or bad cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B, a protein that helps transport fat and cholesterol.
A reminder of the study
The keto diet, which has been linked to the names of basketball players LeBron James and model Adriana Lima, promises a loss of 2 to 3 kilos a week.
It is an eating plan that reduces carbohydrates too much, increases fat consumption and controls protein intake, trying to generate a state of ketosis in the body similar to what happens in a fasting situation.
In this study, they recommend that people who decide to follow it “be aware that they can cause an increase in LDL cholesterol levels”, so that the researchers consult a professional, control the cholesterol level and consider other heart risk factors. disease or stroke, such as diabetes, high blood pressure, physical inactivity, or smoking.
They admit, however, that not everyone responds in the same way to a low-carb diet and that “some cholesterol levels remain the same or decrease in some classes of people, depending on a number of underlying factors.”
“There are inter-individual differences in how people respond to this purity model, which we do not yet fully understand. One of the next steps will be to try to identify specific traits or genetic markers that can predict how someone will respond to this type of diet.”
Among the study’s limitations, they admit, is that “participants provided dietary information at one point in time, which should be considered when interpreting the findings.” In addition, “questions about food intake may be less accurate” when they say they can be validated.
Finally, they add: “Because the study was observational, it can only show an association between diet and increased risk of major cardiac events, not a causal relationship.”
However, Iantan insists that “the research deserves further research in prospective studies.”
