Dietary fat and the risk of having a stroke

Stroke is the third largest cause of death behind coronary heart disease and cancer and the leading cause of long‐term disability in many countries such as the United Kingdom. Stroke has greater effects on mortality and morbidity in women than in men. However, by contrast with coronary heart disease and cancer very little information is available on effects of diet on the risk of having a stroke. Effects of saturated fat on the risk of having a stroke are puzzling as four prospective studies have shown inverse associations implying a protective effect of saturated fat although one large prospective study has shown no association. These findings are not consistent with the Lipid Hypothesis. By contrast the available evidence suggests that oily fish and fish oil protect against having an ischaemic stroke. More research is urgently needed which analyses effects of diet on stroke subtypes and gender separately.