ISLAMABAD: Trans fat is one of the most harmful types of fats that is known to cause health problems, particularly heart diseases.

According to a study done by Yale School of Medicine in New Haven, Connecticut, US, cases of heart attacks and strokes is less common among people living in areas that restrict trans fats in foods compared to residents in areas without restrictions,health news reported.

Trans fatty acids, or trans fats, are commonly found in fried foods, chips, crackers and baked goods. Eating even minimal amounts is linked to a greater risk of cardiovascular disease.

To study the impact of restricting trans fats, researchers compared outcomes for people living in New York counties with andm without the restrictions.

Using data from the state department of health and census estimates between 2002 and 2013, the researchers focused on hospital admissions for heart attack and stroke.

They found that three or more years after the restrictions were implemented, people living in areas with the bans had significantly fewer hospitalizations for heart attack and stroke when compared to similar urban areas where no limits existed.

The decline for the combined conditions was 6.2 per cent, said the study.

"It is a pretty substantial decline," Brandt said.

"The results are impressive, given that the study focused on trans fatty acid bans in restaurants, as opposed to complete bans that included food bought in stores," added senior author Tamar S Polonsky, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago.—APP