Dietary Fat and Alcohol in the Prediction of Indices of Vascular Health Among Young Adults

ABSTRACT Background: Arterial stiffness, particularly of the aorta, is an independent predictor of future CVD, all-cause mortality, and hypertension. Arterial stiffening may be caused or exacerbated by the composition of the diet. Current research has indicated that habitual dietary patterns may influence arteriosclerosis, or the thickening and hardening of the artery walls, but has yet to identify a specific food group as the culprit. In young, college-aged adults, dietary fat intake and alcohol consumption tend to be higher compared to other periods throughout the life cycle. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the influence of dietary fat and alcohol consumption on the vascular health of apparently healthy young adults. Methods: The data collected were assessed to determine if dietary fat and alcohol in young (18-30 years), college-aged adults (n = 50) were independent predictors of an increase in arterial stiffening. Vascular health was determined by the following indices: carotid-femoral Pulse Wave Velocity (cfPWV) and Augmentation Index corrected for a heart rate of 75 bpm (AIx75); dietary patterns were assessed using the Dietary Health Questionnaire II (DHQ-II). Results: Gold standard aortic stiffness marker, cfPWV, was positively correlated with cheese consumption (R2 = 0.092, p = 0.033), alcohol consumption (R2 = 0.102, p = 0.024), and total energy/calories (%) from alcohol (R2 = 0.118, p = 0.015) in univariate analysis. In forward selection multiple regression analysis, energy from alcohol and cheese consumption accounted for 23.7% of the variance in cfPWV (p = 0.009). Wave reflection marker AIx75 was positively correlated with total dietary fat (R2 = 0.110, p = 0.019), trans fatty acids (R2 = 0.092, p = 0.032), saturated fatty acids (R2 = 0.124, p = 0.012), monounsaturated fatty acids (R2 = 0.012, p = 0.015), red meat consumption (R2 = 0.094, p = 0.030), and discretionary fat from solids in univariate analysis (R2 = 0.137, p = 0.008). Discretionary fat from solids accounted for 13.7% of the variation in AIx75 in forward selection multiple regression analysis (p = 0.008). Conclusion: These results indicate the potential roles of dietary fat and alcohol consumption in early vascular aging by stiffening the arteries of young, college-aged adults, which may, in turn, contribute to future adverse CVD outcomes.