Research shows that skipping breakfast could result in weight gain, diabetes, and a higher risk of heart attack and heart disease for older men.

According to a study published in the journal Circulation, there is an association between regularly skipping breakfast and having a higher risk of a fatal heart attack or coronary heart disease, The Huffington Post reports.

The researchers calculated the increased risk at 27 percent, including other factors such as smoking, drinking, diet and health problems like high blood pressure and obesity.

"Skipping breakfast may lead to one or more risk factors, including obesity, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes, which may in turn lead to a heart attack over time," study researcher Leah E. Cahill, Ph.D., a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health, said in a statement.

Researchers examined food frequency questionnaires taken over a 16-year period by 26,903 men between ages 45 and 82. In that 16 years, 1,572 men experienced a cardiac event for the first time.

In other words, over 7% of the men who skipped breakfast had heart attacks, compared to nearly 6% of those who ate breakfast.

Specifically, researchers found that those who ate right before bed had 55 percent higher risks of coronary heart disease, The Huffington Post reports.

Unfortunately, skipping breakfast in America is not uncommon. 18% of U.S. adults regularly skip breakfast, according to federal estimates, USA Today reports. Men are more likely to skip breakfast than women, research suggests.

Of course, it's also important what you eat for breakfast.

"We don't know whether it's the timing or content of breakfast that's important. It's probably both," said Andrew Odegaard, a University of Minnesota researcher, ABC News reports.

"Generally, people who eat breakfast tend to eat a healthier diet," he added.