Would You Like a Stroke with That?

New York - Living near fast food restaurants can be dangerous to your health, a new study suggests.

The study, led by Dr. Lewis B. Morgenstern of the University of Michigan, analyzed the population of certain areas in Nueces County, Texas, calculated the number of fast food restaurants in each area, and then counted the number of strokes that occurred there from January 2000 to June 2003. When all calculations were complete, the researchers found that, for every fast food restaurant in a neighborhood, the risk of stroke rose by 1 percent. This finding, says Dr. Morgenstern, is “statistically significant.”

But not everyone agrees with him. Beth Johnson, of the National Restaurant Association, says that this study is faulty and that the researchers did not establish a link between eating at fast food restaurants and having a stroke. The research, she says, does not analyze the health habits of the people involved.

But Dr. Morgenstern says that, if there is a link between the number of fast food restaurants and the number of strokes, it would have tremendous public health implications.

Stroke killed 143,579 people in 2005. It’s the third largest cause of death, ranking behind “diseases of the heart” and all forms of cancer. Stroke is a leading cause of serious, long-term disability in the United States.

The researchers presented their findings at the American Stroke Association’s International Stroke Conference in San Diego, California.