It really is the most important meal of the day: Skipping breakfast 'could lead to heart attacks'

Missing a morning meal was linked to an increased risk of atherosclerosis, which is the hardening and narrowing of arteries due to a build-up of plaque


Skipping breakfast could lead to hardening of the arteries, raising the risk of heart attacks, scientists claim.

And their research further suggests why breakfast really is the most important meal of the day.

Missing a morning meal was linked to an increased risk of atherosclerosis, which is the hardening and narrowing of arteries due to a build-up of plaque.


Previous research has been carried out into the health benefits of eating breakfast but researchers said this is the first study to link the meal to atherosclerosis.

Author Dr Valentin Fuster, editor of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, said: “People who regularly skip breakfast likely have an overall unhealthy lifestyle.

“This study provides evidence that this is one bad habit people can proactively change to reduce their risk for heart disease.”

Researchers in Madrid examined male and female volunteers who were free from cardiovascular or chronic kidney disease.

A computerised questionnaire was used to estimate the usual diet of the participants and patterns were based on the percentage of total daily energy intake consumed at breakfast.


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Three groups were identified during the study - those consuming less than 5% of their total energy intake in the morning, those consuming between five and 20% and those consuming more than 20%.

The first group skipped breakfast and only had coffee, juice or another non-alcoholic drink, the second were “low-energy breakfast consumers” and the third were deemed “breakfast consumers”.

Of the 4,052 participants, 3% skipped breakfast, 69% were low-energy breakfast consumers and 28% were breakfast consumers.

Research revealed atherosclerosis was more frequent in those who skipped breakfast and also higher in those who had low-energy breakfasts compared to breakfast consumers.

It also showed cardiometabolic risk markers were more prevalent in those who skipped breakfast and low-energy breakfast consumers compared to breakfast consumers.

Participants who skipped breakfast had the greatest waist circumference, body mass index, blood pressure, blood lipids and fasting glucose levels.

Dr Jose Penalvo, the study’s senior author, said: “Aside from the direct association with cardiovascular risk factors, skipping breakfast might serve as a marker for a general unhealthy diet or lifestyle which in turn is associated with the development and progression of atherosclerosis.

“Our findings are important for health professionals and might be used as a simple message for lifestyle-based interventions and public health strategies, as well as informing dietary recommendations and guidelines.”

Further findings showed participants who skipped breakfast were more likely to have an overall unhealthy lifestyle, including poor diet, frequent alcohol consumption and smoking.


They were also more likely to be hypertensive and overweight or obese, according to the study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.