Study Links Protein Deficiency to Stroke Risk
Women who consume low amounts of protein appear at greater risk for stroke.
A new population study from Sweden has concluded that low protein intake may significantly increase stroke risk.
Researchers from the National Institute of Environmental Medicine in Sweden and the National Institute of Health and Welfare in Finland recruited 24,670 Swedish women to participate in food-frequency questionnaires. All subjects were free of heart disease and cancer at baseline.
After 10.4 years of follow-up, researchers reported 1680 stroke events. Total and animal protein intake was inversely associated with total stroke risk and cerebral infarction risk. For women with a history of high blood pressure, the association was more pronounced: women who consumed the highest amounts of protein had a 38% reduced risk of stroke compared to women who consumed the lowest amounts of protein.
