A lack of access to nearby stores selling fresh food may increase residents’ risk of having the early signs of heart disease. That’s according to a new study from Grand Valley State University’s Public Health department.
“There’s been a large body of research out there that indicates that limited fresh food choices in poor neighborhoods have been linked to unhealthy diets, so residents in these neighborhoods have a greater likelihood of atherosclerosis.”
That’s Jeffrey Wing, assistant professor of Public Health at Grand Valley State University. He says while previous studies show residents in these neighborhoods may have a greater chance at atherosclerosis, which is an underlying sign of heart disease, he says no studies have examined what factors might cause this.
“So we set out to examine whether social or physical characteristics were related to this progression of heart disease.”
Wing, along with Ella August at the University of Michigan worked together on the research which has been published in the American Heart Association’s journal “Circulation.” In the end, their findings did link accessibility with signs of heart disease.
“So this lack of health food stores, may help explain why people in these neighborhoods have more heart disease. So, our thought here, is that greater access to healthier foods, may have promoted healthier diet, so in turn less coronary plaque formation or less atherosclerosis or less heart disease.”
Wing says they also found that healthy food stores within one mile of a residence was the only significant factor that reduced or slowed the progression of calcium buildup in coronary arteries. He says there are continuing to build evidence supporting the idea that access to fresh food is important.
