A modified portfolio diet complements medical management to reduce cardiovascular risk factors in diabetic patients with coronary artery disease.

Summary Background & aims Secondary prevention can improve outcomes in high risk patients. This study investigated the magnitude of cardiovascular risk reduction associated with consumption of a modified portfolio diet in parallel with medical management. Design 30 patients with type II diabetes, 6 weeks post bypass surgery received dietary counseling on a Modified Portfolio Diet (MPD) (low fat, 8 g/1000 kcal viscous fibres, 17 g/1000 kcal soy protein and 22 g/1000 kcal almonds). Lipid profiles, endothelial function and markers of glycemic control, oxidative stress and inflammation were measured at baseline and following two and four weeks of intervention. Seven patients with no diet therapy served as time controls. Results Consumption of the MPD resulted in a 19% relative reduction in LDL (1.9 ± 0.8 vs 1.6 ± 0.6 mmol/L, p p  = 0.006) over the study period. Flow mediated dilatation increased significantly in treated patients (3.8 ± 3.8% to 6.5 ± 3.6%, p  = 0.004) while remaining constant in controls ( p  = 0.6). Endothelial progenitor cells numbers (CD34+, CD 133+ and UEA-1+) increased significantly following MPD consumption ( p Conclusion Dietary intervention in medically managed, high risk patients resulted in important reductions in risk factors. Clinical Trials registry number NCT00462436.