Mixed
High post-diagnostic consumption of ultra-processed foods (UPFs) is associated with a significantly increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality in patients with stages I–III colorectal cancer (CRC), but not with CRC-specific or all-cause mortality.
For colorectal cancer survivors, reducing ultra-processed food intake (aiming for <3.6 servings/day) is strongly linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular death, which is a major cause of mortality in this group. While this reduction did not show a direct link to preventing cancer recurrence in this study, prioritizing whole foods over processed options supports heart health, a critical component of long-term survivorship.
Compared to those in the lowest quintile (median = 3.6 servings/d), patients in the highest quintile (median = 10 servings/d) of post-diagnostic UPF intake had higher CVD mortality (HR = 1.65, 95% CI = 1.13–2.40) but not CRC or all-cause mortality.
Why this rating
Large prospective cohort (NHS/HPFS), rigorous adjustment for confounders, but observational design limits causal inference.
Source
Ultra-processed food consumption and mortality among patients with stages I–III colorectal cancer: a prospective cohort study
Dong Hang et al. · EClinicalMedicine · 2024
DOI 10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102572
More from this paper
- Specific subgroups of ultra-processed foods, namely fats/condiments/sauces and ice cream/sherbet, are associated with increased cardiovascular and colorectal cancer-specific mortality, respectively, in CRC survivors.Good
- Reducing ultra-processed food intake after a colorectal cancer diagnosis is associated with lower cardiovascular disease mortality compared to maintaining or increasing UPF intake.Good
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