Unhealthy Western diet spells dyslipidaemia risk

Greater adherence to a Western diet characterized by increased intake of meats and processed foods ups the risk of developing abnormal levels of blood lipids in young adults, whereas a healthy prudent diet is protective against such a risk, a study reports.

The study used data from a long-running birth cohort study in Australia. Its participants completed food frequency questionnaires. A Western dietary pattern was defined by greater consumption of meats, processed foods, and high-fat dairy products. A prudent pattern, on the other hand, was a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, fish, nuts, whole grains, and low-fat dairy products.

After 9 years, researchers collected fasting blood samples of all participants for measurement of the total, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterols, and triglyceride (TG) levels. They performed principal component analysis at the 21-year follow-up from dietary data to examine whether early young adulthood dietary patterns predicted the risk of abnormal blood lipids during later young adulthood.

In fully-adjusted log-binomial models, participants with greater adherence to the Western pattern were at increased risks of developing elevated LDL (risk ratio [RR], 1.47, 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 1.06–2.03) and TG (RR, 1.90, 95 percent CI, 1.25–2.86), as well as high ratios of total:HDL (RR, 1.48, 95 percent CI, 1.00–2.19) and TG:HDL (RR, 1.78, 95 percent CI, 1.18–2.70) cholesterols.

In contrast, participants who adhered to a prudent pattern had lower risks of developing low HDL (RR, 0.58, 95 percent CI, 0.42–0.78) and elevated TG (RR, 0.66, 95 percent CI, 0.47–0.92), and high total:HDL (RR, 0.71, 95 percent CI, 0.51–0.98) and TG:HDL (RR, 0.61, 95 percent CI, 0.45–0.84) cholesterols ratios.

The findings highlight the importance of addressing diets in the early course to improve the cardiovascular health of young adults.