Saturated Fat Consumption and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease and Ischemic Stroke: A Science Update

TLDR

A workshop reviewed data on saturated fatty acid consumption, bioavailability, and their roles in the body and food technology, and examined epidemiological methods linking SAFA intake to coronary heart disease and ischemic stroke outcomes. The review focused on how saturated fatty acids influence coronary heart disease through causal risk factors and surrogate risk markers. Higher saturated fatty acid intake was not linked to increased coronary heart disease or stroke risk, but replacing saturated fats with cis‑polyunsaturated fatty acids lowered CHD risk, while reducing saturated fats had minimal impact on stroke, and the food matrix and source of saturated fats influence health outcomes.

Abstract

At a workshop to update the science linking saturated fatty acid (SAFA) consumption with the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) and ischemic stroke, invited participants presented data on the consumption and bioavailability of SAFA and their functions in the body and food technology. Epidemiological methods and outcomes were related to the association between SAFA consumption and disease events and mortality. Participants reviewed the effects of SAFA on CHD, causal risk factors, and surrogate risk markers. Higher intakes of SAFA were not associated with higher risks of CHD or stroke apparently, but studies did not take macronutrient replacement into account. Replacing SAFA by cis-polyunsaturated fatty acids was associated with significant CHD risk reduction, which was confirmed by randomized controlled trials. SAFA reduction had little direct effect on stroke risk. Cohort studies suggest that the food matrix and source of SAFA have important health effects.