A new study from the American Journal of Cardiology has found that many heart attack patients “regularly” visit fast food restaurants six months after their attack.

An article from Reuters Health looked at the survey of nearly 2,500 heart attacks patients, which found that about 36 percent reported that they had eaten fast food frequently in the month before the attack. Frequently was defined as once a week or more.

And when checking back six months later, about 20 percent reported they were still eating fast food every week.

“Certain populations, including younger patients, men, those currently working and less educated patients were more likely to consume fast food, at least weekly, during follow-up,” wrote John Spertus with the University of Missouri at Kansas City in his report.

The study showed that older patients and those who had bypass surgery were more likely to avoid fast food six months later.

The survey did not ask what menu items people ordered and some in the fast food industry argue that not all fast food should be considered unhealthy.

But Spertus and his colleagues found that most of the patients they studied who kept eating fast food after their heart attacks “tended to have health profiles consistent with selection of less healthy options.”

Nine out of 10 patients who participated in the study received dietary counseling before they left the hospital.

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Photo Credit: Christian Razukas

• Tag: fast food, health, heart attacks, surgery