| smoking, a high-fat diet is the second most lethal | | | | other by blockage of an artery there (ischemic). |
| habit. According to a report published in the | | | | About 75 percent of strokes are ischemic, and |
| Journal of the American Medical Association, | | | | the vast majority of ischemic strokes are caused |
| smoking causes 400,000 deaths a year. High-fat | | | | by cerebral thrombosis – blockage of a |
| diets cause 300,000. Several more highly publicized | | | | brain artery by a process similar to heart attack, |
| social evils are comparatively small problems: | | | | involving atherosclerosis and plaque rupture. |
| alcohol (100,000 deaths), guns (35,000), auto | | | | Obesity.Many people use obese as a synonym for |
| accidents (25,000) and drug abuse (20,000). These | | | | fat, but it has a more precise medical definition |
| statistics in no way minimize the tragedies of | | | | – a weight 20 percent heavier than what is |
| alcoholism, murder or drug addiction. But they | | | | recommended for one’s height and build. |
| provide a perspective on what is really like killing | | | | Anyone who is 35 percent overweight faces a |
| us. If this sounds a bit extreme, consider the | | | | risk of premature death 50 percent greater than |
| dangers of dietary fat and judge for yourself. | | | | average. Obesity is a risk factor for heart |
| High blood pressure. High blood pressure is a | | | | disease, several cancers, high blood pressure, |
| major risk factor for heart disease and stroke. A | | | | diabetes and arthritis. It is a problem only in |
| high-fat diet contributes to this condition because | | | | countries with a high-fat diet. In addition to being |
| it adds extra pounds. As weight increases, the | | | | hazardous to health, obesity is also an economic |
| heart must work harder to pump blood through all | | | | handicap, since obese people earn less money |
| the extra tissue. As the heart’s effort | | | | than those who are slimmer. |
| increases, so does blood pressure. | | | | Hear disease. The nation’s leading cause |
| Diabetes. Diabetes contributes to an estimated | | | | of death, heart disease kills 720,000 Americans a |
| 250,000 deaths a year. It involves an inability to | | | | year, most as a result of heart attacks. About |
| metabolize blood sugar because of problems with | | | | one American in four has some form of heart |
| the pancreatic hormone, insulin. In Type I | | | | disease. Heart disease results from a process |
| (insulin-dependent) diabetes, the pancreas stops | | | | called atherosclerosis, which is directly linked to |
| producing insulin. In more common Type II | | | | dietary fat. Fatty foods are high in cholesterol and |
| (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes, typically | | | | free radicals, which are oxygen molecules that |
| associated with obesity, insulin production may be | | | | have lost an electron and become highly reactive. |
| normal, but food intake overwhelms the | | | | As they circulate in the blood, they snatch |
| body’s ability to process it. | | | | electrons away from other molecules, sometimes |
| Arthritis. Dietary fat contributes to the most | | | | grabbing them from the cells that line artery walls. |
| common form of arthritis, osteoarthritis, because | | | | The microscopic injuries that free radicals inflict |
| excess weight subjects the major joints to extra | | | | begin a decades-long process that eventually |
| weight and tear. A high-fat diet also appears to | | | | narrows the arteries with cholesterol-rich deposits |
| increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), the | | | | called plaques. Sometimes plaque rupture, spilling |
| most serious and potentially crippling form of joint | | | | their contents into the blood. If a plaque ruptures |
| disease. Several studies suggest that a low-fat | | | | in one of the coronary arteries that nourish the |
| diet relieves RA symptoms. | | | | heart, its debris can cause complete blockage. |
| Stroke. Stroke is the nation’s third leading | | | | Without food and oxygen to nourish its |
| cause of death, claming 144,000 lives a year. | | | | hard-working cells, part of the heart dies. |
| There are two major types of stroke, one | | | | That’s a heart attack. |
| caused by bleeding in the brain (hemorrhagic), the | | | | |