Trans fat boosted risk of stroke

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CHAPEL HILL, N.C., March 2 (UPI) -- High trans fat intake was found to increase stroke risk for post-menopausal women, but aspirin appeared to lower the stroke risk, U.S. researchers found.

Dr. Ka He of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill's School of Global Public Health and colleagues found women who ate the most trans fats were 39 percent more likely than those with the least trans fat in their diet to have an ischemic stroke.

Aspirin use altered the link. There was no effect of trans fat intake in women taking aspirin, but there was a 66 percent elevated ischemic stroke risk for non-aspirin users with the highest trans fat consumption.

"Our results highlight the importance of limiting the amount of dietary trans fat intake and using aspirin for primary ischemic stroke prevention among women, specifically post-menopausal women who have elevated risk of ischemic stroke," the researchers said in a statement.

The study was published online in the Annals of Neurology.