Skipping Breakfast Tied to 87% Higher Risk of CVD Death

Skipping breakfast is common among American adults, but it can have serious cardiovascular consequences, according to new research.^1,2

A study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology suggests that individuals who never eat breakfast have an 87% higher risk of death due to cardiovascular disease (CVD) than those who eat breakfast regularly.^1,2

“The main message of this study is that eating breakfast may help prevent cardiovascular death,” Wei Bao, MD, PhD, assistant professor of epidemiology at the University of Iowa College of Public Health, told Consultant360. “Previous studies also showed benefits of eating breakfast on cardiovascular risk factors, such as diabetes, hypertension, and lipid disorders. Therefore, eating breakfast could be a simple way to improve cardiovascular health,” he added.

Dr Bao and colleagues arrived at their conclusion following a prospective cohort study of US adults aged 40 to 75 years who had participated in the 1988-1994 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III.

Of the 6550 adults included in this nationally representative sample, 5.1% reported that they never consumed breakfast, while 10.9% said they rarely consumed breakfast, 25.0% reported consuming breakfast some days, and 59.0% said they consumed breakfast daily.

A total of 2318 deaths–including 619 deaths from CVD–occurred over 112,148 person-years of follow-up. Following adjustment for age, sex, race/ethnicity, body mass index, and other factors, hazard ratios (HRs) indicated that skipping breakfast was tied to a substantially increased risk of mortality from CVD compared with consuming breakfast daily (HR 1.87). The HR for all-cause mortality was 1.19 among those who skipped breakfast vs those who reported having breakfast every day.

Breakfast is often regarded as the most important meal of the day, and recent evidence suggests that breakfast should comprise approximately 15% to 25% of daily calorie intake.³ Recent research indicates that Americans who regularly consume breakfast are increasingly eating away from home and opting for more convenient options, including breakfast sandwiches and drinkable yogurts.³

The USDA’s 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend consuming a well-balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, low-fat dairy, and lean meats, while limiting intake of saturated fats, sodium, and added sugars.⁴

—Christina Vogt

References:

1. Rong S, Snetselaar LG, Xu G, et al. Association of skipping breakfast with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2019;73(16). doi:10.1016/j.jacc.2019.01.065.

2. Snee T. Skipping breakfast associated with higher risk of cardiovascular disease [press release]. Iowa City: University of Iowa; April 22, 2019. https://now.uiowa.edu/2019/04/ui-study-skipping-breakfast-associated-higher-risk-cardiovascular-death. Accessed on April 22, 2019.

3. Spence C. Breakfast: the most important meal of the day? Int J Gastron Food Sci. 2017;8:1-6. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijgfs.2017.01.003.

4. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2015-2020. US Department of Agriculture. Page last updated September 5, 2018. https://www.choosemyplate.gov/dietary-guidelines. Accessed on April 22, 2019.