People who skip breakfast or eat very little first thing could be doubling their risk of cardiovascular disease, a new study has found.
Cardiovascular disease is one of the main causes of death and disability in the UK. It is often associated with atherosclerosis, a build-up of fat inside the arteries.
New research found people whose breakfast contained less than 5% of the recommended daily calorie intake (100 calories for a daily intake of 2,000) had twice the number of atherosclerotic plaques as those who ate a high-energy breakfast.
The report, published in the Journal of American College of Cardiology (JACC), confirms the importance of eating breakfast for heart health and researchers said the findings could have important implications for public health.
