Too Much Ham And Bacon May Prove 'Un'Healthy
COLUMBIA - A new study has found that frequent consumption of cured meats results in lower lung function test scores and increases the odds of developing chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
18 April 2007
2 minute read
COPD results from chronic bronchitis and emphysema, two inflammatory lung diseases that frequently co-exist and interfere with breathing.
The study was conducted at Columbia University Medical Centre in New York by Rui Jiang, M.D, and three associates.
As part of the study, researchers examined 7,352 individuals who participated in the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, conducted from 1988 to 1994 by the National Center for Health Statistics. The average age of participants was 64.5 years, and 48 per cent were male.
Researchers found that the that the 'odds ratio' for developing COPD among individuals who consumed cured meat products 14 times or more per month, was 1.93, as compared with those who did not consume cured meats. An 'odds ratio' greater than 1, implies that the event is more likely to occur within that group.
