The journal article termed “Perspective: interesterified triglycerides, the recent increase in deaths from heart disease and elevated blood viscosity” by Gregory D. Sloop and his co-workers is extensive research. It has focused on the increased rate of cardiovascular deaths and its association with the consumption of interesterified fats (Sloop, Weidman, & St Cyr, 2018). The authors of this research paper have assumed the utilization of fats to be the primary reason for cardiovascular deaths. Moreover, the increase in blood viscosity, which mostly occurs in cardiovascular diseases, is also reviewed in the article under discussion. All the arguments in the article are supported by substantial evidence, making this research highly significant.
The alarming situation of increased heart diseases and deaths due to it has been emphasized in this article effectively. The dangers of trans fats have been discussed such as how the long and straight carbon chains in saturated fatty acids reduce erythrocytes’ fluidity. This results in the deformation of erythrocytes and enhances the blood viscosity. The decrease in fluidity is known to occur due to elevated Van der Waals interactions, as explained in the article (Sloop et al., 2018). Moreover, the article has enlightened its readers about the pathogenic mechanisms that enable trans fats to increase cardiovascular mortality and favor elevated blood viscosity.
To validate the arguments presented in the article, the author has incorporated several facts and figures affirming the notion that the increased consumption of trans fats is elevating blood viscosity. According to the article, this issue is not restricted to the United States of America only but is observed worldwide. This fact makes this research more useful and significant. As mentioned in the article, in 1970 the death rate due to heart disease reached a peak in the United Kingdom. Similarly, the production and consumption of trans fats increased during 1960 in the United States of America as well (Sloop et al., 2018). Thus, the number of cardiovascular deaths also increased which proves the notion that trans fats are somehow responsible for that.
In addition to this, the author has tried to present some more valid arguments with the help of statistics and numbers. For example, he has stated that after Denmark reduced the consumption of trans fats to 2%, a considerable effect was seen. The death rate due to cardiovascular diseases dropped to 14.2 per 100,000 people (Sloop et al., 2018). Similarly, a decrease of 6.2% was also recorded in cardiovascular deaths when trans fats were restricted in certain counties of New York. This further validates the research topic and draws the readers’ attention towards this serious matter.
The author of the research article has also highlighted the issue of thrombosis which is associated with the factors of enhanced blood viscosity and cardiovascular mortality caused by trans fats. Arterial thrombosis occurs due to enhanced blood viscosity and ultimately causes death. This research has raised some major questions, including the lack of regulation of such fats. No food regulatory authority requires labeling “interesterified” foods to make people aware of the type of fats in the food they are buying (Sloop et al., 2018). Unfortunately, significant research of this kind did not receive any funding.
In short, the research under discussion has raised a very important issue that needs to be studied more. It has highlighted the need to release the data related to the manufacture and ingestion of interesterified fats in the United States of America. The lives of millions of people are at stake which enhances the importance of this research and welcomes further and advanced analysis on the same topic and its related perspectives.
References
Sloop, G. D., Weidman, J. J., & St Cyr, J. A. (2018). Perspective: interesterified triglycerides, the recent increase in deaths from heart disease, and elevated blood viscosity.Therapeutic Advances in Cardiovascular Disease, 12(1), 23–28.
