Abstract
The link between overall diet quality in children and arterial disease progression in adolescents and young adults remains unclear
due to limited prospective studies in this area(1)
. Therefore, this cohort study examined the relationship between diet quality during
childhood and arterial stiffness and thickness during adolescence and early adulthood.
Participants were children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)(2)
with diet diary data collected at
7, 10 and 13 years and data on pulse wave velocity (PWV) (marker of arterial stiffness) and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT)
(marker of pre-clinical atherosclerosis) measured at age 17 and 24 years. Complete data on PWV were available for 2,782 participants
at 17 years and 1,636 at 24 years, and complete data on cIMT were available for 3,203 participants at 17 years and 1,382 at 24 years.
Diet quality (DQ) was assessed with five scores: a children’s relative Mediterranean-style diet (C-rMED) z-score, a children’s Dietary
Inflammatory z-Score (C-DIS), a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) z-score, a children’s Eatwell Guide (C-EWG)
z-score reflecting adherence to UK dietary guidelines, and an Obesogenic z-score (energy dense, high fat, high sugar, low fibre pattern
derived using reduced rank regression). Multivariable linear regression models examined the associations between the DQ z-scores at
7, 10 and 13 years and PWV and cIMT at 17 and 24 years, after adjusting for relevant confounders and imputing missing covariate
data.
In fully adjusted models, a more Obesogenic z-score at 7 and 10 years was associated with an increased PWV at 17 years; ß 0.07
(95% CI 0.01,0.13) and ß 0.10 (95% CI 0.04, 0.16) for high versus low Obesogenic z-score, respectively. A higher C-rMED z-score at 7
years was associated with a decrease in PWV at 17 years (ß -0.07; 95% CI -0.14, -0.01 for high versus low c-rMED score). A higher
C-DIS z-score (more anti- inflammatory diet) at 10 years was associated with a lower PWV at 17 years: ß -0.06 (95% CI -0.12, -0.01)
for high versus low c-DIS score. None of the DP scores at 7, 10 or 13 years were associated with PWV at 24 years or were associated
with cIMT at 17 or 24 years.
An Obesogenic dietary pattern at 7 and 10 years was related to increased arterial stiffness, while a Mediterranean-style diet and
an anti-inflammatory diet (both predominantly plant-based diets, rich in fibre, mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, antioxidants and
anti-inflammatory foods/nutrients) at 7 or 10 years, respectively, were related to a decrease in arterial stiffness in adolescence. This
highlights the importance of establishing healthy dietary habits early in life to protect against arterial stiffness - a marker of vascular
damage and strong predictor of cardiovascular disease later in life(1,3)
.
due to limited prospective studies in this area(1)
. Therefore, this cohort study examined the relationship between diet quality during
childhood and arterial stiffness and thickness during adolescence and early adulthood.
Participants were children from the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC)(2)
with diet diary data collected at
7, 10 and 13 years and data on pulse wave velocity (PWV) (marker of arterial stiffness) and carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT)
(marker of pre-clinical atherosclerosis) measured at age 17 and 24 years. Complete data on PWV were available for 2,782 participants
at 17 years and 1,636 at 24 years, and complete data on cIMT were available for 3,203 participants at 17 years and 1,382 at 24 years.
Diet quality (DQ) was assessed with five scores: a children’s relative Mediterranean-style diet (C-rMED) z-score, a children’s Dietary
Inflammatory z-Score (C-DIS), a Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) z-score, a children’s Eatwell Guide (C-EWG)
z-score reflecting adherence to UK dietary guidelines, and an Obesogenic z-score (energy dense, high fat, high sugar, low fibre pattern
derived using reduced rank regression). Multivariable linear regression models examined the associations between the DQ z-scores at
7, 10 and 13 years and PWV and cIMT at 17 and 24 years, after adjusting for relevant confounders and imputing missing covariate
data.
In fully adjusted models, a more Obesogenic z-score at 7 and 10 years was associated with an increased PWV at 17 years; ß 0.07
(95% CI 0.01,0.13) and ß 0.10 (95% CI 0.04, 0.16) for high versus low Obesogenic z-score, respectively. A higher C-rMED z-score at 7
years was associated with a decrease in PWV at 17 years (ß -0.07; 95% CI -0.14, -0.01 for high versus low c-rMED score). A higher
C-DIS z-score (more anti- inflammatory diet) at 10 years was associated with a lower PWV at 17 years: ß -0.06 (95% CI -0.12, -0.01)
for high versus low c-DIS score. None of the DP scores at 7, 10 or 13 years were associated with PWV at 24 years or were associated
with cIMT at 17 or 24 years.
An Obesogenic dietary pattern at 7 and 10 years was related to increased arterial stiffness, while a Mediterranean-style diet and
an anti-inflammatory diet (both predominantly plant-based diets, rich in fibre, mono- and poly-unsaturated fats, antioxidants and
anti-inflammatory foods/nutrients) at 7 or 10 years, respectively, were related to a decrease in arterial stiffness in adolescence. This
highlights the importance of establishing healthy dietary habits early in life to protect against arterial stiffness - a marker of vascular
damage and strong predictor of cardiovascular disease later in life(1,3)
.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | Proceedings of the Nutrition Society |
| Publisher | Cambridge University Press |
| Number of pages | 1 |
| Volume | 82 |
| Publication status | Published - 8 Jan 2024 |
