Associations between major dietary patterns and biomarkers of endothelial dysfunction in two urban mid-sized cities of Argentina

Abstract Objective To examine whether dietary patterns (DP) are associated with endothelial dysfunction (ED) markers in an Argentinian population. Research Methods & Procedures Cross-sectional study. The sample belonged to 1,983 subjects from two mid-sized cities of Argentina, involved in CESCAS I Study. To define DP, a food-frequency questionnaire was applied. In a subsample randomly selected from the primary cohort, serum concentrations of C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1), soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1), and soluble E selectin (sSELE) were determined. Correlations and multiple linear regression models were used to assess the relation between each quartile of DP adherence score and ED markers (Q1 lowest adherence; Q4 highest adherence). Results Three DPs were identified: Traditional (TDP), Prudent (PDP), and Convenience and processed (CDP). TDP was characterized by higher intake of refined grains, red meat, whole fat dairy products, vegetable oils, and “mate”, a traditional South American infused drink; PDP was characterized by higher intake of vegetables, fruit, low-fat dairy products, whole grains, and legumes; and CDP consisted mainly of processed meat, snacks, pizza, and “empanadas”, a stuffed bread served baked or fried. Lower scores (Q2, Q3) in TDP were inversely associated to concentrations of sSELE (P Conclusion Adherence for each DP identified is differentially related to ED markers in the studied population.