Trans fats ban linked with fewer heart attacks and strokes in NY

CHICAGO -- A new study suggests New York bans on artery-clogging trans fats in restaurant foods led to fewer heart attacks and strokes in several counties.

The study hints at the potential for widespread health benefits from a nationwide ban. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2015 gave the food industry until next year to eliminate artificial trans fats from products sold in the U.S.

New York City in 2007 enacted a restaurant ban on the fats and several counties in the state did the same. Before-and-after data show hospital admissions for heart attacks and strokes in those areas declined 6 percent compared with counties without bans. The study states that translates to 43 fewer heart attacks and strokes per 100,000 people.

The study was published Wednesday in JAMA Cardiology.