Higher intake of refined grain may increase the risk of premature coronary artery disease (PCAD), finds a new study.

The findings indicate that eating refined grains was associated with an increased risk of premature heart disease and whole grains consumption with reduced risk.

"A diet that includes consuming a high amount of unhealthy and refined grains can be considered similar to consuming a diet containing a lot of unhealthy sugars and oils," said author Mohammad Amin Khajavi Gaskarei from Isfahan University of Medical Sciences.

For the study, to be presented at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) the Middle East 2022 Together with the 13th Emirates Cardiac Society Congress, taking place in Dubai, UAE, October 7-9, 2022, the team involved 2,099 people with PCAD from hospitals with catheterisation labs in different cities and ethnicities throughout Iran who underwent coronary angiography.

In total, 1,168 patients with normal coronary arteries were included in the control group, while 1,369 patients with CAD with obstruction equal to or above 75 per cent in at least a single coronary artery.

Participants were given a food frequency questionnaire for dietary assessments to evaluate dietary behaviours and evaluate the association between whole grain and refined grain intake and the risk of PCAD in individuals without a prior diagnosis of heart disease.

After adjusting for confounders, a higher intake of refined grains was associated with an increased risk of PCAD, while whole grain intake was inversely related to a reduced risk of PCAD.