AROUND a quarter of heart disease cases and associated deaths could be driven by ultra-processed foods (UPFs), a study found today.

Researchers from the University of Montreal in Canada found that between 23 per cent and 38 per cent of all cardiovascular disease events in 2019, such as heart attacks and strokes, were attributable to UPFs.

UPFs resulted in 58,200 to 96,000 new heart disease cases, the study found, and were to blame for between 10,600 and 17,400 related deaths, as well as disability for thousands of patients.

Reducing consumption of these foods by 20 to 50 per cent was possibly responsible for preventing up between 16,800 and 45,900 new cases of heart disease, and between 3,100 and 8,300 cardiovascular disease-related deaths.

“Regulations on food taxes, front-of-package labelling, marketing restrictions and reformulation targets aimed at improving food quality” must all be implemented for a necessary “meaningful change in dietary patterns.”