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PASSCLAIM - Diet-related cardiovascular disease
Ronald P Mensink1, Antti Aro, Elly Den Hond
1Maastricht University, Department of Human Biology, P. O. Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands.
European Journal of Nutrition
|March 29, 2003
Summary
Dietary modifications impact cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk markers like cholesterol and blood pressure. However, robust evidence is lacking for other markers, necessitating further research to validate dietary claims for CVD prevention.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Cardiovascular Health
- Biomarker Research
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is multifactorial with numerous known risk markers.
- Diet significantly influences several CVD aetiological processes and risk markers.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review diet-modified CVD risk markers, focusing on lipid metabolism, haemostasis, oxidative damage, homocysteine, and blood pressure.
- To assess the validity of these biomarkers for substantiating health claims related to functional foods.
Main Methods:
- Literature review and analysis of existing scientific consensus on CVD risk biomarkers.
- Evaluation of methodological and biological characteristics of biomarkers and their relationship to CVD risk.
Main Results:
- Well-validated biomarkers for CVD risk include LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, fasting triacylglycerol, homocysteine, and blood pressure.
- Formal proof is lacking that diet-induced changes in HDL, triacylglycerol, homocysteine, haemostatic function, and oxidative damage alter CVD risk.
Conclusions:
- Consensus exists for LDL cholesterol and blood pressure as valid biomarkers for enhanced function claims.
- Further research is needed to validate other biomarkers and confirm that dietary changes truly reduce CVD risk.