Women who use diets low in animal fat and protein to combat hypertension (high blood pressure) may have a higher risk of a type of stroke caused by uncontrolled bleeding in the brain, according to a recent study. Researchers from Harvard Medical School in Boston, MA studied data involving 85,000 women and determined that the women with the lowest intake of animal fat and protein had the highest risk of stroke due to hemorrhage. The correlation between the diet and the stroke risk was strongest in women with hypertension.

Researchers noted that this finding does not mean people should abandon efforts to decrease intake of fat, which is known to reduce the risk of heart disease. Still, they did say that "a very low intake of animal fat and protein . . . may not be optimal for the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease."