Associations Between the Modified Food Standard Agency Nutrient Profiling System Dietary Index and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in an Elderly Population.

Background: Helping consumers to improve the nutritional quality of their diet is a key public health action to prevent cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). The modified version of the Food Standard Agency Nutrient Profiling System Dietary Index (FSAm-NPS DI) underpinning the Nutri-Score front-of-pack label has been used in public health strategies to address the deleterious consequences of poor diets. This study aimed to assess the association between the FSAm-NPS DI and some CVD risk factors including body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, plasma glucose levels, triglyceride levels, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, and diastolic and systolic blood pressure. Materials and Methods: Dietary intake was assessed at baseline and after 1 year of follow-up using a 143-item validated semi-quantitative food-frequency questionnaire. Dietary indices based on FSAm-NPS applied at an individual level were computed to characterize the diet quality of 5,921 participants aged 55-75 years with overweight/obesity and metabolic syndrome from the PREDIMED-plus cohort. Associations between the FSAm-NPS DI and CVD risk factors were assessed using linear regression models. Results: Compared to participants with a higher nutritional quality of diet (measured by a lower FSAm-NPS DI at baseline or a decrease in FSAm-NPS DI after 1 year), those participants with a lower nutritional quality of diet (higher FSAm-NPS DI or an increase in score) showed a significant increase in the levels of plasma glucose, triglycerides, diastolic blood pressure, BMI, and waist circumference (ß coefficient [95% confidence interval]; P for trend) (1.67 [0.43, 2.90]; <0.001; 6.27 [2.46, 10.09]; <0.001; 0.56 [0.08, 1.05]; 0.001; 0.51 [0.41, 0.60]; <0.001; 1.19 [0.89, 1.50]; <0.001, respectively). No significant associations in relation to changes in HDL and LDL-cholesterol nor with systolic blood pressure were shown. Conclusion: This prospective cohort study suggests that the consumption of food items with a higher FSAm-NPS DI is associated with increased levels of several major risk factors for CVD including adiposity, fasting plasma glucose, triglycerides, and diastolic blood pressure. However, results must be cautiously interpreted because no significant prospective associations were identified for critical CVD risk factors, such as HDL and LDL-cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure.

Fruit and Vegetable Consumption is Inversely Associated with Plasma Saturated Fatty Acids at Baseline in Predimed Plus Trial.

SCOPE: Plasma fatty acids (FAs) are associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome. The aim of our study is to assess the relationship between fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption and plasma FAs and their subtypes. METHODS AND RESULTS: Plasma FAs are assessed in a cross-sectional analysis of a subsample of 240 subjects from the PREDIMED-Plus study. Participants are categorized into four groups of fruit, vegetable, and fat intake according to the food frequency questionnaire. Plasma FA analysis is performed using gas chromatography. Associations between FAs and F&V consumption are adjusted for age, sex, physical activity, body mass index (BMI), total energy intake, and alcohol consumption. Plasma saturated FAs are lower in groups with high F&V consumption (-1.20 mg cL-1 [95% CI: [-2.22, -0.18], p-value = 0.021), especially when fat intake is high (-1.74 mg cL-1 [95% CI: [-3.41, -0.06], p-value = 0.042). Total FAs and n-6 polyunsaturated FAs tend to be lower in high consumers of F&V only in the high-fat intake groups. CONCLUSIONS: F&V consumption is associated with lower plasma saturated FAs when fat intake is high. These findings suggest that F&V consumption may have different associations with plasma FAs depending on their subtype and on the extent of fat intake.