Dietary strategies for risk-factor modification to prevent cardiovascular diseases
Singh, R.B.; Rastogi, S.S.; Sircar, A.R.; Mehta, P.J.; Sharma, K.K.
Nutrition 7(3): 210-214
1991
ISSN/ISBN: 0899-9007 PMID: 1666320 Document Number: 376822
To study the role of diet in cardiovascular risk-factor intervention, 458 high-risk individuals (414 men and 44 women, 25 to 63 years old) were given a cardiovasoprotective diet (group A, n = 228) or their usual diet (group B, n = 230) in a randomized single-blind fashion. Group A received significantly more energy in relation to the amount of complex carbohydrates, vegetable proteins, polyunsaturated fats, fibre, potassium, magnesium, and vitamin C and less energy in saturated fat and cholesterol compared with group B. Age, risk factors, nutritional factors, complications, and laboratory data were similar at entry to the study. Dietary adherence was obtained by questionnaire. After 1 year there was a decrease (P<0.02) in total risk factors (32.0%) in group A compared with group B, and 1-year mean serum cholesterol was significantly lower than the initial mean cholesterol in group A. There was a decrease (P<0.02) in total complications (38.3%) in group A compared with group B in association with a decrease (P<0.02) in cardiovascular end points (38.3%), including postexercise electrocardiographic changes, fatal and nonfatal myocardial infarction, and sudden death. Overall mortality and mortality due to ischaemic heart disease was less in group A (8 and 3.5%) than group B (11 and 4.8%). However, because of the few cases, differences were insignificant. It is possible that diet causes a significant reduction in blood cholesterol and modification of other risk factors leading to a decrease in complications and cardiovascular end points in patients with risk factors of coronary heart disease.