Based on responses, households were categorized into four groups based on food security: high, marginal, low and very low. The study revealed around 18% of participants were food insecure.

According to the investigators, participants, regardless of food security level, who recorded the largest intake of red meat were 29% to 39% more likely to have high blood pressure. Food insecure individuals, who had recorded higher levels of red meat intake, had a stronger likelihood of having high blood pressure. Those who faced food insecurities and consumed larger amounts of processed meat had 36-50% higher odds of having hypertension compared to food-secure individuals who ate less processed meat.

“Our findings illustrate that high, total red meat consumption was associated with higher odds of hypertension are generally consistent with the results of prior research,” said co-investigator and assistant professor Djibril Ba, who has a doctoral degree in epidemiology with a focus on nutritional epidemiology. “Our research also showed that substituting plant-based foods for red and processed meats could help prevent hypertension.”

The researchers explored dietary substitutions and whether or not replacing red meat with other protein sources would affect blood pressure. According to the findings, by substituting one serving, or 3.5 ounces, of red meat per day with another protein source — such as poultry, fish, eggs and dairy or plant-based products — individuals could lower their odds of hypertension by 8-15%, regardless of food security levels.

Participants with higher total red meat intake were more likely to be non-Hispanic white men, who smoked, drank alcohol, had higher body mass indexes and had histories of CVD or diabetes.

The researchers said that this study provides important insight into preventing hypertension and reducing health disparities associated with food insecurity. The findings underscore the need to prioritize resources to improve diets among U.S. adults, particularly households experiencing food insecurities.

Xiang Gao of Penn State Cancer Institute; John Richie, Vernon Chinchilli and Duanping Liao of Penn State College of Medicine also contributed to this research. The researchers declare no conflicts of interest or specific funding support.