Fatty meal compromises circulation

It is well known that a lifetime of fatty meals can lead to a heart attack due to clogging of the arteries by fatty substances like triglycerides. Now a recent study suggests that just one high-fat meal can interfere with blood flow to the heart even in young men. Researchers at the Osaka City University in Japan carried out a study of 15 healthy men in their 20s or early 30s. They consumed a shake containing 1,200 calories and 100 grams of fat which was roughly the equivalent of eating a fast-food meal plus dessert. All of the men underwent a heart test and had blood samples taken before and after consuming the meal. It was found that 5 hours after the high-fat meal the ability of the arteries of the heart to expand and increase blood flow to the muscle (coronary reserve flow) dropped by 18%. In addition five men underwent the same tests after consuming a low-fat 1,200 calorie meal that contained only 10 grams of fat. Here after the meal no drop in coronary flow reserve was observed. The investigators found that triglyceride levels jumped from 140 milligrams per decilitre of blood (mg/dL) after the high-fat meal, but only 10 mg/dL after the low-fat meal. The findings suggest that coronary microcirculation (blood flow through the tiny blood vessels that provide oxygen-rich blood to heart muscle) can be impaired by a high-fat meal. Although the study did not include people with heart disease the results could explain why those with heart disease-related chest pain (angina) sometimes have increased pain after a high-fat meal. This angina is thought to be due to reduced blood flow to the heart. The conclusions of this study were that coronary flow reserve decreased after a single high-fat meal in healthy young men and the implications are more serious for patients with pre-existing heart disease.