Living within half a mile of pubs, bars and takeaways raises the risk of heart failure by up to 16 per cent, a study found.
People who live in ‘high density’ areas, with 11 or more venues within easy walking distance, had a 16 per cent higher risk of suffering the deadly condition than those with none near their homes.
The study was conducted in the US using the health data of 500,000 individuals in the UK.
Living near a pub or bar provides too much temptation (stock)
Professor Lu Qi, of Tulane University in New Orleans, said: ‘Most previous research on the relation between nutrition and human health has been focused on food quality, while neglecting the impact of food environment.
‘Our study highlights the importance of accounting for food environment in nutrition research.’
The researchers compared the prevalence of heart failure with the proximity of individuals’ homes to three types of food outlets – pubs or bars, restaurants or cafes and fast-food takeaways.
They found 13,000 people from the study group suffered heart failure, with those living close to a variety of different venues faring worst.
Those in the highest-density areas of pubs and bars showed a 14 per cent higher risk for heart failure, while those in areas with the most takeaways had a 12 per cent higher risk.
People who lived very close – less than 550 yards (0.31 miles) – to at least one pub or bar had a 13 per cent higher risk of heart failure.
Heart failure risk was also stronger among less educated people and adults in urban areas without access to formal physical activity facilities such as gyms.
The study, published in Circulation Heart Failure, said improving access to healthier food options and physical fitness facilities in urban areas could be the key to cutting deaths.
Heart failure is a condition in which the heart muscle can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs for blood and oxygen. It usually comes on gradually, or can develop after a heart attack if the heart muscle is severely damaged.
