Hospitalizations for cardiovascular events has decreased in New York counties that placed restrictions on the use of trans-fatty acids in restaurants, a study published in JAMA Cardiology shows.
New York City was the first large metropolitan area in the United States to restrict trans-fatty acids in eateries, starting in July 2007. New York counties soon followed suit.
Researchers studied those living in TFA-restricted counties and compared them with those living in counties without restrictions from 2002 to 2013. They used the New York State Department of Health's Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System and census population estimates, and included people who had been hospitalized for a cardiovascular event, such as a heart attack or stroke.
Researchers examined 25 counties where there were no TFA restrictions and 11 counties with restrictions.
The population living in TFA-restricted counties experienced significant decline in heart attack and stroke events combined, a decrease of 6.2 percent, three or more years after the restrictions were implemented.
Specifically, heart attack-related hospitalizations dropped by 7.8 percent and stroke-related hospital stays declined by 3.6 percent, compared to the population in counties without TFA restrictions.