Iron-rich foods raise heart risks for diabetics

NEW YORK, Jan 10 (Reuters) Consuming red meat and other foods high in ''heme'' iron, such as chicken liver, clams and oysters, appears to increase the risk of heart disease in diabetics, researchers report in the journal Diabetes Care It might be advisable that ''patients with type 2 diabetes may limit consumption of heme iron and red meat,'' lead investigator Dr Lu Qi told Reuters Health.

Dr Qi of Harvard School of Public Health, Boston and colleagues note that diabetes-related metabolic abnormalities may aggravate the adverse effects of excess iron on the heart.

However, they add, little is known about whether iron consumption also affects heart disease risk.

To investigate further, the researchers followed 6,161 women participating in the Nurses' Health Study, and who reported a diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. During follow-up from 1980 through 2000, the team documented 550 new cases of heart disease.

After accounting for age and body weight, high intake of both heme iron and red meat appeared to increase the risk of heart disease. Specifically, women who consumed the highest amount of heme iron were 50 per cent more likely to develop heart disease than those with the lowest intake. The risks were greatest in women who were postmenopausal.

The researchers point out that because of the study's design, the findings can't prove that high heme iron intake ''causes'' heart disease, only that it is ''associated'' with the disease.

Still, they note that cutting back on consumption of heme iron-rich foods might be prudent for diabetics.

REUTERS AKJ KP1034