What the Ketone Heart Risk Headlines Got Wrong
Metabolic Mind
Confounding and reverse causation
Bret discusses epidemiologic pitfalls: confounding factors and reverse causation in the study's associations.
You may have seen headlines or social media posts claiming that ketones increase the risk of heart attacks and that this proves ketogenic diets are dangerous for heart health. But when you actually examine the study behind those claims, the data tell a very different story.
In this video, Dr. Bret Scher takes a closer look at a recent paper published in the Journal of the American Heart Association that analyzed circulating ketone levels in participants from the UK Biobank. The study has been widely shared online as evidence against ketogenic diets. The issue? The participants weren’t following a ketogenic diet at all.
Instead, researchers measured very small baseline ketone levels in a general population that was consuming around 250 grams of carbohydrates per day, that’s far from the levels associated with nutritional ketosis.
In this video, you’ll learn:
- Why this study was not a ketogenic diet study
- The difference between association and causation in epidemiology
- Why the measured ketone levels were far below nutritional ketosis
- How metabolic stress, illness, or diabetes can raise ketone levels independently of diet
- Why these findings don’t tell us anything about ketogenic diets
Understanding the context behind nutrition research is critical. Misinterpreting observational data can easily lead to misleading headlines and unnecessary confusion about diet and health.
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Expert Featured:
Dr. Bret Scher
- Baszucki Group Medical Director
- https://x.com/bschermd
Resources Mentioned:
Circulating Ketone Bodies and Incident Cardiovascular Outcomes and Mortality: Insights From the UK Biobank
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About us:
Metabolic Mind is a non-profit initiative of Baszucki Group working to transform the study and treatment of mental disorders by exploring the connection between metabolism and brain health. We leverage the science of metabolic psychiatry and personal stories to offer education, community, and hope to people struggling with mental health challenges and those who care for them.
Our channel is for informational purposes only. We are not providing individual or group medical or healthcare advice nor establishing a provider-patient relationship. Many of the interventions we discuss can have dramatic or potentially dangerous effects if done without proper supervision. Consult your healthcare provider before changing your lifestyle or medications.
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