The Study
Meta-analysis of dietary glycemic load and glycemic index in relation to risk of coronary heart disease.
This study looked at lots of people over time and found that women who ate lots of sugary or starchy foods were more likely to get heart disease — but it doesn’t prove the food caused it. It just shows they tended to happen together.
Analysis score
Maximum 100 for a systematic review with meta-analysis.
Where the score came from
This study looked at whether eating lots of sugary and refined carbs raises the risk of heart disease, and if it affects men and women differently.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 542 / 100
Quality score
The highest quality evidence. Systematic reviews and meta-analyses that pool randomized controlled trials, giving the most reliable summary of experimental evidence.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — a 69% higher risk means nearly 7 out of every 10 women with high-sugar diets might face heart disease that others wouldn't, even after accounting for other risk factors.
- 2Women who ate high-glycemic diets had a 69% higher risk of heart disease; men had no significant increase.
- 3Women with high GI diets had a 26% higher risk.
- 4The risk may be worse for overweight or obese people.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
The American journal of cardiology
Year
2012
Authors
Jiayi Dong, Yong-hong Zhang, Peiyu Wang, L. Qin
Related Content
Claims (4)
Eating a lot of sugary and refined carbs like white bread and soda may raise a woman’s chance of getting heart disease by almost double, even if she doesn’t have other common risk factors like high blood pressure or smoking.
Women who eat a lot of foods that spike blood sugar quickly may be 69% more likely to develop heart disease, but this doesn’t seem to be true for men.
Women who eat a lot of foods that spike blood sugar quickly may have a 26% higher chance of developing heart disease, but this doesn’t seem to be true for men.
People who eat a lot of foods that spike their blood sugar quickly might be more likely to get heart disease, especially if they’re overweight or obese—but we don’t have strong proof yet.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.