Partially hydrogenated vegetable oils and heart attack risk in people
What it found
People who ate the most trans fats from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils had more than double the chance of a first heart attack.
This was seen in a comparison of 239 hospital patients and 282 other adults.
What they found
Studies in people
Heart attack risk
After accounting for age, sex and total calories, those eating the most trans fats had about two and a half times the risk of a heart attack compared with those eating the least.
Other diet factors
The link stayed strong even when researchers accounted for saturated fat, cholesterol, vitamins, fiber and other known heart risks.
Margarine intake
Eating margarine, which was the main source of these trans fats, was also tied to a higher chance of having a heart attack.
What the authors conclude
- They say their results back the idea that eating partially hydrogenated vegetable oils may add to the risk of a heart attack.
How it was done
Scientists have worried for decades that trans fats made during partial hydrogenation of vegetable oils might raise the risk of heart disease. Direct proof of this link in humans was limited.
They compared 239 patients admitted to six Boston hospitals after a first heart attack with 282 people from the general population. Everyone filled out a food questionnaire to estimate how much trans fat they usually ate.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This type of study compares groups at one point in time, so it can show a link but cannot prove that trans fats directly caused the heart attacks.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Harvard School of Public Health, MA
The paper
- Title
- Trans-fatty acids intake and risk of myocardial infarction
- Type
- Study
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Ascherio A, Hennekens CH, Buring JE, Master C, Stampfer MJ, Willett WC (1994). Trans-fatty acids intake and risk of myocardial infarction. Circulation. doi:10.1161/01.cir.89.1.94PubMed 8281700DOI
Summary written 1 Oct 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error