Egg yolks linked to heart disease

The build-up of carotid plaque is greater the more egg yolks people eat (Getty Images)

Don't go to work on an egg. Or at least not more than twice a week, particularly if you're at risk from heart disease. According to new Canadian research, the more egg yolks people eat, the worse the effect on blood vessels. Results of the study show that the build-up of carotid plaque, a waxy substance that clogs blood vessels and which is linked to reduced blood flow and higher risk of cardiovascular disease, is greater the more egg yolks people eat.

"Our results suggest a strong association between egg consumption and carotid plaque burden," the researchers say. "The effect size of egg yolks appears to be approximately two-thirds that of smoking. We believe our study makes it imperative to reassess the role of egg yolks, and dietary cholesterol in general, as a risk factor for heart disease."

The study, reported in the journal Atherosclerosis, assessed the affects of eating eggs by nearly 1,200 people, with an average age of 61. Results show that the carotid plaque area grew with age after 40, but increased exponentially with the number of years of smoking and egg yolk eating.