NY trans fats ban liked to fewer stokes, heart attacks

By Barry Eitel

SAN FRANCISCO

A ban on trans fats in the state of New York resulted in a 6 percent decrease in strokes and heart attacks, researchers said Wednesday.

The ban not only saved lives, but also reduced the number of non-fatal heart disease cases.

Trans fats are oils commonly used by fast food restaurants to fry foods or by food manufacturers in snack food and margarine. The fat became popular in the 1950s because it solidifies like butter and stays fresh longer than liquid oils.

Research in recent decades hinted, however, that trans fats not only congealed in storage containers but it could also do it in arteries.

New York City and several nearby counties began banning trans fats 10 years ago and scientists studied medical records between 2002 and 2013.

“New York City was the first large metropolitan area in the United States to restrict trans fats in eateries, starting July 2007," researchers from Yale University wrote in the study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association's JAMA Cardiology.

The Food and Drug Administration is planning a nationwide ban in 2018 on partially hydrogenated oil in foods, which will nearly eliminate dietary trans fat in the American diet.

Trans fats are rarely found in nature and have been largely criticized as a crucial factor in the rise of heart disease — the leading cause of death worldwide. Within three years of the New York ban studies found hospitalizations for strokes and heart attacks dropped 6.2 percent.

“It is a pretty substantial decline," lead author Eric Brandt said in a statement. "Our study highlights the power of public policy to impact the cardiovascular health of a population. Trans fats are deleterious for cardiovascular health, and minimizing or eliminating them from the diet can substantially reduce rates of heart attack and stroke."