Research

Hormonal

High intake of trans-fatty acids from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils significantly increases the risk of myocardial infarction, independent of plasma cholesterol levels.

To lower your risk of heart attack, minimize your intake of trans-fatty acids, specifically those from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. Focus on reducing consumption of stick margarine, which is a major source, and limit processed foods like cookies, crackers, and fried foods that often contain these fats. Opt for tub margarine or other unsaturated fats instead, as the study indicates the risk is driven by vegetable-derived trans-isomers rather than animal-derived ones.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
These data support the hypothesis that intake of partially hydrogenated vegetable oils may contribute to the risk of myocardial infarction.
Alberto Ascherio et al. · Circulation · 1994

Why this rating

Case-control design with strong statistical significance (P<.0001) and adjustment for multiple confounders, though not a randomized trial.

Source

Trans-fatty acids intake and risk of myocardial infarction.

Alberto Ascherio et al. · Circulation · 1994

DOI 10.1161/01.cir.89.1.94

case_control · n=521Cited 372×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →