April 24 (UPI) -- Researchers say skipping breakfast can increase the risk of dying from heart disease.
A study published Monday in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology showed that the risk of death from cardiovascular disease spiked by 87 percent for people who say they never eat the morning meal.
Skipping breakfast had a link to changes in appetite, higher blood pressure, dangerous changes in lipid levels and lower satisfaction after eating, the researchers said.
"In a nationally representative cohort with 17 to 23 years of follow-up, skipping breakfast was associated with a significantly increased risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease," the study authors wrote.
For the study, the researchers analyzed data on 6,550 adults between 1988 and 1994 collected as part of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. The participants ranged in age from 40 to 75, and none of them had a history of cancer or cardiovascular disease.
Among participants, a little over 5 percent of people never ate breakfast, nearly 11 percent rarely ate breakfast, 25 percent occasionally ate breakfast and close to 60 percent ate breakfast every day.
Previous studies have pointed to the health benefits of eating breakfast, with one even reporting that the meal can help with weight loss.
But other research has suggested that skipping breakfast can provide metabolic advantages, like appetite suppression, anti-aging and anti-inflammatory benefits.
"Our study supports the benefits of eating breakfast in promoting cardiovascular health," the study authors wrote.
