Ultra-processed foods, lifestyle management, and cardiovascular diseases.
Luigina, G., Marialaura, B., Ana, A., Riccardo, A., Maira, B.R., Ruxandra, C., Giovanni, d.G., Marc, F., Pedro, M.V., Atul, P., Dimitri, R., Sukshma, S., Sousa, G.C., Bernard, S., Saverio, S., Mathilde, T., Branislav, V., Massimo, P., & Licia, I. (2026). Ultra-processed foods, lifestyle management, and cardiovascular diseases.. Eur Heart J. https://doi.org/10.1093/eurheartj/ehag226
Luigina G, Marialaura B, Ana A, Riccardo A, Maira BR, Ruxandra C, et al. Ultra-processed foods, lifestyle management, and cardiovascular diseases.. Eur Heart J. 2026; doi: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehag226
Luigina G, Marialaura B, Ana A, et al. Ultra-processed foods, lifestyle management, and cardiovascular diseases.[J]. Eur Heart J. 2026. DOI: 10.1093/eurheartj/ehag226.
@article{luigina2026,
author = {Guasti Luigina and Bonaccio Marialaura and Abreu Ana and Asteggiano Riccardo and Bes-Rastrollo Maira and Christodorescu Ruxandra and de Gaetano Giovanni and Ferrini Marc and Marques-Vidal Pedro and Pathak Atul and Richter Dimitri and Sharma Sukshma and Guerreiro Catarina Sousa and Srour Bernard and Stranges Saverio and Touvier Mathilde and Vohnout Branislav and Piepoli Massimo and Iacoviello Licia},
title = {Ultra-processed foods, lifestyle management, and cardiovascular diseases.},
journal = {Eur Heart J},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.1093/eurheartj/ehag226},
note = {PMID: 42091095},
}
TY - JOUR AU - Guasti Luigina AU - Bonaccio Marialaura AU - Abreu Ana AU - Asteggiano Riccardo AU - Bes-Rastrollo Maira AU - Christodorescu Ruxandra AU - de Gaetano Giovanni AU - Ferrini Marc AU - Marques-Vidal Pedro AU - Pathak Atul AU - Richter Dimitri AU - Sharma Sukshma AU - Guerreiro Catarina Sousa AU - Srour Bernard AU - Stranges Saverio AU - Touvier Mathilde AU - Vohnout Branislav AU - Piepoli Massimo AU - Iacoviello Licia TI - Ultra-processed foods, lifestyle management, and cardiovascular diseases. T2 - Eur Heart J PY - 2026 DO - 10.1093/eurheartj/ehag226 AN - PMID:42091095 ER -
Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) have increasingly displaced traditional diets globally and have become a significant public health concern, particularly in relation to cardiovascular (CV) diseases. UPFs are defined as food products primarily composed of cheap industrial ingredients, additives, and neo-formed compounds, often with little to no nutritional value. These foods are highly processed and contain additives that can have harmful effects on health. While traditional dietary guidelines have long emphasized the importance of limiting animal-derived fats and promoting the intake of fruits, vegetables, and unsaturated fats, recent evidence suggests that the extent and nature of food processing are also key factors in the relationship between diet and health. Studies over the past decade have highlighted that the consumption of UPFs is associated with increased CV risk, often independent of the overall diet quality. Despite growing evidence linking UPF consumption to major CV risk factors (e.g. hypertension, dyslipidaemia, obesity) and adverse CV outcomes, the role of food processing in CV health remains underrecognized in cardiology. Current dietary counselling in clinical practice tends to overlook the potential adverse impact of UPFs, with patients not receiving comprehensive nutritional guidance. This European Society of Cardiology (ESC) clinical consensus statement, developed by a multidisciplinary group of European experts, is conceived to increase awareness among clinicians about the CV risks associated with UPFs. Starting from a comprehensive review of current evidence, it provides practical, actionable advice to help the general cardiologists incorporate UPF-related assessment and counselling into their routine care. The statement also proposes a stepwise framework focused on CV prevention, including tools designed to enhance patient communication and engagement. Moreover, it discusses these clinical advices within wider strategic and policy frameworks, therefore supporting a more integrated, food-centred approach to improve CV health.