In older Swedish women, eating lots of foods that spike blood sugar might be linked to more heart failure hospitalizations or deaths, but the evidence isn’t strong enough to be sure.

Eating foods that raise blood sugar quickly doesn’t seem to increase the risk of heart failure in middle-aged and older Swedish women, based on a study that found no clear link between the two.

For middle-aged and older Swedish women, eating foods that raise blood sugar quickly doesn’t seem to affect heart failure risk any more for overweight women than for women who are normal weight — the risk is about the same in both groups.

Women in their 40s to 60s who eat a lot of sugary and refined carbs are almost twice as likely to develop heart disease as those who eat fewer of these foods.

Women in their 40s to 60s who eat a lot of foods that spike blood sugar quickly—like white bread, sugary snacks, and refined carbs—are more likely to develop heart disease than those who eat fewer of these foods, with the biggest eaters having almost twice the risk.

Eating lots of foods that spike your blood sugar quickly may raise your chances of developing heart disease later on, even if you don’t smoke, aren’t overweight, or don’t have diabetes — especially if you’re a middle-aged woman in the US.