Associations of plant-based dietary patterns with cardiovascular risk factors in women

Introduction: Given that some plantbased foods, such as potatoes, adversely affect cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors, this study was performed to assess the association between plant dietary patterns and these risk factors. Methods: This crosssectional study was conducted among 371 healthy 18 to 50 yearold Iranian women. Participant dietary intake was assessed using a validated food frequency questionnaire. Nineteen food groups were ranked in deciles and received scores from 1 to 10. An overall plantbased dietary index (PDI), a healthy plantbased dietary index (hPDI), and an unhealthy plantbased dietary index (uPDI) were calculated. Results: Participants who scored in the top tertile of the PDI or uPDI consumed less fat and protein and more carbohydrates, compared to women in the lowest tertile (P lt; 0.05). There was no significant variation in macronutrient consumption between the highest and lowest tertiles of hPDI. Participants who scored in the highest tertile of PDI had lower low density cholesterol level (LDL) (79.61 ± 14.36 mg dL−1 vs. 83.01 ± 14.96 mg/dL−1, P = 0.021). In addition, higher adherence to uPDI was associated with higher triglyceride (TG) levels compared to participants with lower adherence (101.5 ± 56.55 mg/dL−1 vs. 97.70 ± 56.46 mg dL−1, P lt; 0.0001). Here was no significant association between PDI, hPDI and uPDI and CVD risk factors in regression model. Conclusion: We found no significant association between plantbased dietary indices and CVD risk factors in women, except for LDLC and TG. Future cohort studies are needed to confirm these findings.