Flashback Friday - Can you have your curry and eat it too?

Revisiting an article whose lead author is our very own Alan Tankel.

The VHOT (Vindaloo Hastens Outpouring of Tropinins) Study.

Alan S. Tankel, Yusuf Nagree, Peter Jones, David Mountain, Stephen P.J. MacDonald, Paul Hill, Martin Than. (2016) Emergency Medicine Australasia 28(6): 654-657.

In this study the authors considered that multiple cardiac and non-cardiac processes may cause elevation of highly sensitive troponin (hsTn), they postulated that the consumption of a seriously hot vindaloo might cause and increase in hsTn levels in healthy volunteers.

This study undertook to investigate the risks involved in consumption of "seriously hot" Lamb Vindaloo vs the mild yogurt and cream based curry "for those very odd people who do not like their curries too spicy" Butter Chicken. The 30 volunteer participants who were staff at the hospital where the study was undertaken, enjoyed a fabulous meal of butter chicken and this was followed up to weeks later with the seriously hot lamb vindaloo - side dishes accompanied both meals.

This was a prospective observational cohort study with pre-test post-test bloods drawn for hsTn levels. To cut to the chase so as not to ruin it all for you; it's fabulous for all of us spicy hot curry lovers, that eating vindaloo does not seem to be a risk factor for troponitis, and people may consume their curries safely with reasonable confidence that their meal will not cause significant damage to their myocardium.

The researchers were assisted by "Big Pharma", who demonstrated how to conduct a post hoc analysis, maximising the opportunity to obtain results to support the researchers' predetermined conclusions. However the study was still negative and therefore of no commercial value to anyone. The volunteers paid for their own meals and no external funding was obtained.

I very much enjoyed reading this article and have not spoiled all of the good bits for you. I'm visiting India later in the year so am very pleased that there will be no problem eating my way through various curries! If you would like to obtain the full text of this awesomely amusing yet informative article contact your Librarian at Coffs or Port Macquarie for a copy.