Association Between Ultraprocessed Food Consumption and Cardiovascular Disease Risk (JACC: Advances April 2026)-Article: Association Between Ultraprocessed Food Consumption and Cardiovascular Disease Risk

Pdf Summary

This MESA prospective cohort study examined whether ultraprocessed food (UPF) intake is linked to future atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) events in a diverse U.S. sample of 6,531 adults aged 45–84 years who were free of clinical CVD at baseline.<br /><br />Using a validated food-frequency questionnaire and the Nova classification system, researchers categorized baseline UPF consumption and followed participants for incident hard CVD outcomes, including myocardial infarction, stroke, cardiac arrest, and coronary or stroke death. Multivariable Cox models adjusted for demographics, lifestyle factors, overall diet quality, and cardiometabolic risk factors.<br /><br />Key findings:<br />- Each additional daily serving of UPF was associated with a 5.1% higher risk of ASCVD events.<br />- Participants in the highest quintile of UPF intake had a 66.8% higher risk than those in the lowest quintile.<br />- Results were consistent when UPF was analyzed as a proportion of total food intake and in sensitivity analyses.<br /><br />The study also found evidence that race modified the association. The UPF-ASCVD relationship was stronger among Black Americans than non-Black Americans, with significant interaction tests supporting this difference. No significant interactions were seen by sex or income.<br /><br />Among UPF subgroups, sugary foods showed the clearest positive association with CVD risk, while other categories had weaker or inconsistent links.<br /><br />Overall, the study concludes that higher UPF consumption is independently associated with greater ASCVD risk in a large, multiethnic U.S. cohort, with a more pronounced association in Black participants. The authors suggest that reducing UPF intake may be an important public health strategy, especially in communities disproportionately exposed to unhealthy food environments.

Meta Tag

Concept Ultra-Processed Foods

Concept Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease

Concept Prospective Cohort Study

Concept NOVA System

Concept Cox Model

Keywords

ultraprocessed food

UPF intake

atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease

ASCVD risk

MESA cohort

prospective cohort study

myocardial infarction

stroke

Black Americans

sugary foods

Ultra-Processed Foods

Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease

Prospective Cohort Study

NOVA System

Cox Model