Researchers at Harvard say hot dogs, bacon, sausage and processed deli meats could contribute to these conditions. They found that for every 2 ounce serving, the risk for heart disease jumped 42 percent, and the risk for diabetes increased 19 percent.
Researchers say eating up to one serving of processed meat per week would be associated with a relatively small risk.
This study suggests that salt and other preservatives, rather than fats, could be the reason for the higher risk.
The findings are being presented this week at an American Heart Association conference in San Francisco.
