High-quality intake of carbohydrates is associated with lower prevalence of subclinical atherosclerosis in femoral arteries: The AWHS study

Background and aims: High-quality of the carbohydrates consumed, apart from their total amount, appear to protect from cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the relationship between the quality of carbohydrates and the early appearance of atherosclerosis has not yet been described. Our objective wa...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Muñoz-Cabrejas, A., Laclaustra, M., Guallar Castillón, María Pilar, Casasnovas, J. A., Jarauta, E., Sandoval-Insausti, H., Donat-Vargas, C., Moreno-Franco, B.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2021
País:España
Institución:Universidad Autónoma de Madrid
Repositorio:Biblos-e Archivo. Repositorio Institucional de la UAM
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:repositorio.uam.es:10486/705065
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10486/705065
https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.clnu.2021.04.049
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Atherosclerosis
Carbohydrate quality index
Carbohydrates
Cardiovascular disease
Medicina
Descripción
Sumario:Background and aims: High-quality of the carbohydrates consumed, apart from their total amount, appear to protect from cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, the relationship between the quality of carbohydrates and the early appearance of atherosclerosis has not yet been described. Our objective was to estimate the association between the quality of dietary carbohydrates and subclinical atherosclerosis in femoral and carotid arteries. Methods: Cross-sectional study of femoral and carotid atherosclerosis assessed using ultrasounds of 2074 middle-aged males, 50.9 (SD 3.9) years old, with no previous CVD, and pertaining to the Aragon Workers’ Health Study (AWHS) cohort. Food frequency questionnaires were used to calculate a carbohydrate quality index (CQI) defined as: consumption of dietary fiber, a lower glycemic index, the ratio of whole grains/total grains, and the ratio of solid carbohydrates/total carbohydrates. The presence of plaques across four CQI intervals was studied using adjusted logistic regression models. Results: The CQI showed a direct inverse association with subclinical atherosclerosis in femoral territories. Participants with a higher consumption of high-quality carbohydrates (13–15 points) were less likely to have femoral plaques when compared with participants in the lowest index interval (4–6 points) (OR = 0.59; 95% CI = 0.39, 0.89; p = 0.005). No association was found between the CQI and the presence of subclinical atherosclerosis in carotid territories. A lower consumption of high-quality carbohydrates tended to be associated with a greater atherosclerosis extension, considered as the odds for having more affected territories (p = 0.011). Conclusions: Among middle-aged males, a high-quality intake of carbohydrates is associated with a lower prevalence of femoral artery subclinical atherosclerosis when compared with a lower consumption. Thus, indicating an early relationship between the quality of carbohydrates and the development of CVD.