Hot Dogs and Bacon Cause Increased Risk for Lung Disease

A new study finds that eating cured meats is associated with an increased risk for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Researchers analyzed the consumption of cured meat products (bacon, hot dogs, and other processed meats) in 42,915 men participating in the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. Those men consuming cured meats daily had more than two and half times the risk for COPD compared with those consuming these products rarely or never. The researchers speculate that cured meat may aggravate the effect of smoking on risk for COPD.