Frequent Dining Out May Be Hazardous To Your Heart

A joint U.S.-Singapore study has found evidence that frequent dining out is associated with hypertension, a serious risk factor for cardiovascular disease. For the study, conducted among 501 Singapore college students, researchers analyzed survey data on blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), lifestyle, physical activity levels and frequency of eating out. The analysis showed that 27.4 percent of the students had pre-hypertension, 49 percent of males and 9 percent of females had hypertension, and 38 percent ate more than 12 meals away from home each week. Students with hypertension or pre-hypertension ate out more often, had a higher BMI, were less physically active, and were more likely to be smokers.