Consuming Egg Yolks May Thicken Arteries Nearly As Much As Smoking.

The Los Angeles Times  (8/15, Healy) "Booster Shots" blog reports that "a study" is "warning that for those over 40, the number of egg yolks consumed per week accelerates the thickening of arteries almost as severely as does cigarette smoking." Researchers found that "smoking tobacco and eating egg yolks increased carotid wall thickness in similar fashion -- which is to say, the rate of increase accelerated with each stair-step up in cigarette smoking or yolk consumption." The investigators reported that "for those whose consumption of whole eggs was in the highest 20%, the narrowing of the carotid artery was on average about two-thirds that of the study's heaviest smokers." The research was published in Atherosclerosis.