Red Meat Allegedly Linked to Women’s Stroke Risk

A recent study has reportedly suggested that women who consume more than 3.6 ounces of red meat daily had a 42-percent risk of cerebral infarction compared to those who ate less than 1 ounce. Susanna C. Larsso, et al., “Red Meat Consumption and Risk of Stroke in Swedish Women,” Stroke, December 2010. Swedish researchers evidently examined data from 34,670 women ages 39 to 73, finding that over 10 years, participants in the top quintile for red meat consumption were at a 22-percent increased risk of cerebral infarction over the bottom quintile. In addition, women who reported eating at least 1.5 ounces of processed meat per day had 24-percent greater risk than those who ate less than half an ounce.

The study’s authors, however, did not draw any conclusions about other types of stroke, nor did they find increased risks related to fresh meat and poultry consumption. Red and processed meat consumption also appeared to increase cerebral infarction risk only for non smokers and women without diabetes. See Reuters, December 31, 2010; AOL Health, January 3, 2010.