Local researchers say they've discovered an strong correlation between the number of fast food outlets and the rate of heart attacks in Hunter areas.
The team, comprised of researchers from the Hunter Medical Research Institute, the University of Newcastle and Hunter New England Health, compared heart attack rates in local government areas across the Hunter with the number of fast food outlets.
By focusing on the top ten most popular fast food restaurants, researchers were also able to compare these statistics with population data to come up with a metric known as the fast food outlet density.
The study concluded that for every new fast food outlet, the number of heart attacks per 100,000 people increased by four.
Professor Andrew Boyle, a cardiologist and co-author, said while the data pointed to an association and not a cause and effect, policymakers could not afford to ignore the study's significance.
"The statistical correlation was quite strong, so we adjusted it for all the other risk factors of heart disease - smoking rates in each town, cholesterol levels, activity levels - and still that correlation was strong," Prof Boyle said.
The findings open the door for further research into fast food outlet density as a predicting factor for heart attack risk.
"We hope this can inform town planning as we go forward to consider the number of fast food outlets that are allowed in every town based on the population for patient's health," Prof Boyle said.
