Dietary flavonoid intake and risk of cardiovascular disease in postmenopausal women

Flavonoids, a group of phenolic compounds found in fruits and vegetables, are known to have antioxidant properties. They prevent low density lipoprotein oxidation in vitro and thus may play a role in the prevention of coronary heart disease (CHD). In 1986, in a prospective study of 34,492 postmenopausal women in Iowa, the authors examined the association of flavonoid intake with CHD and stroke mortality. Over 10 years of follow-up, 438 deaths from CHD and 131 deaths from stroke were documented. Total flavonoid intake was associated with a decreased risk of CHD death after adjusting for age and energy intake (p for trend = 0.04). This association was attenuated after multivariate adjustment. However, decreased risk was seen in each category of intake compared with the lowest. Relative risks and 95% confidence intervals of CHD death from lowest to highest intake category were 1.0, 0.67 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.49-0.92), 0.56 (95% CI 0.39-0.79), 0.86 (95% CI 0.63-1.18), and 0.62 (95% CI 0.44-0.87). There was no association between total flavonoid intake and stroke mortality (p for trend = 0.83). Of the foods that contributed the most to flavonoid intake in this cohort, only broccoli was strongly associated with reduced risk of CHD death. The data of this study suggest that flavonoid intake may reduce risk of death from CHD in postmenopausal women.