CardioCurrents

Do fries supersize your risk?

It’s not a lovely day in your neighborhood if your block is packed with fast-food eateries, say researchers from the University of Michigan. Here’s what they found:

• People who live in neighborhoods with the highest number of fast-food restaurants are 13 percent more likely to suffer a stroke than those who don’t live near burger-and-fry joints.
• The risk of stroke increases 1 percent for each fast-food restaurant in the neighborhood. The researchers don’t know whether the restaurants themselves raise stroke risks or if the eateries are just more apt to pop up in unhealthy neighborhoods. Either way, if you find yourself pulling up to the drive-through, bypass the burger and order a salad or a grilled chicken sandwich.