A recent study conducted by Northwestern Medicine highlights a concerning link between food insecurity in young adulthood and a significantly higher risk of developing heart disease in midlife. According to the study, individuals who experience food insecurity — the struggle to access sufficient nutritious food — face a 41% greater likelihood of developing cardiovascular disease later in life, even after accounting for various demographic and socioeconomic factors. Food insecurity currently affects one in eight households in the U.S. each year, but this research underscores its long-term health consequences.
While the connection between food insecurity and heart disease has long been recognized, this study is the first to demonstrate that food insecurity precedes the onset of cardiovascular problems, establishing it as a key risk factor for heart disease. Dr. Jenny Jia, an instructor of general internal medicine and preventive medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, notes that addressing food insecurity early could significantly reduce the burden of heart disease in the future. “If we address food insecurity early, we may be able to reduce the burden of heart disease later,” Jia explained.
Study Overview
The study, which will be published in JAMA Cardiology on March 12, draws on data from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, a long-term research project that has tracked the health of Black and white U.S. adults since the mid-1980s. Researchers analyzed data from participants who reported food insecurity between 2000 and 2001, when they were in their early 30s to mid-40s, and compared their health outcomes over the following 20 years to those who had consistent access to food.
Among the 3,616 study participants, those experiencing food insecurity had a 41% higher chance of developing cardiovascular disease than those with stable food access. Over the course of the study, 11% of individuals facing food insecurity developed heart disease, compared to just 6% of those who were food secure.
Dr. Jia emphasized that the study dispels the longstanding “chicken or the egg” debate — whether food insecurity causes heart disease or if heart disease leads to food insecurity due to the high cost of healthcare. “By following people over two decades, we were able to show that food insecurity, on its own, significantly increases the risk of developing cardiovascular disease,” she said.
At the start of the study, individuals experiencing food insecurity were more likely to identify as Black and had lower educational attainment compared to those who were food secure, factors that may contribute to their increased risk of heart disease.
The Need for Screening and Intervention
The findings of the study stress the importance of screening for food insecurity in healthcare settings. Jia recommends that primary care providers, including internists, pediatricians, and family doctors, are in an ideal position to screen for food insecurity due to the trusted relationships they have with their patients. She suggests that food security screenings should be expanded to emergency rooms and specialty areas such as cardiology, with healthcare workers like nurses and medical assistants, or even patients themselves, filling out screening forms.
“The more we screen for it, the better,” Jia noted. However, she also acknowledged that screening alone is not enough. There is a critical need for effective strategies to help individuals who screen positive for food insecurity. This includes connecting patients to social workers who can refer them to community programs or potentially developing new interventions within healthcare systems.
The study marks a significant step toward understanding the long-term health impacts of food insecurity and highlights the necessity of integrating social and community support into healthcare to combat its effects on heart health. By addressing food insecurity early and providing better support for those affected, it is possible to mitigate the long-term risks of cardiovascular disease.
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