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High fructose diet increases mortality in hypertensive rats compared to a complex carbohydrate or high fat diet
Naveen Sharma1, Isidore C Okere, Monika K Duda
1Department of Nutrition, School of Medicine, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio 44106-4970, USA.
Insights
A high fructose diet significantly increases mortality and cardiac hypertrophy in hypertensive rats compared to high fat or high starch diets. This highlights the detrimental impact of fructose on cardiovascular health during hypertension.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Science
- Nutritional Science
- Animal Models
Background:
- Chronic hypertension is a major risk factor for cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure, and premature death.
- The influence of dietary macronutrient composition on hypertension-induced cardiac changes remains poorly understood.
- This study investigates the impact of complex carbohydrate, simple sugar (fructose), and high-fat diets on cardiac hypertrophy and mortality in hypertensive rats.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine the effects of different dietary macronutrient compositions on cardiac hypertrophy and mortality in hypertensive Dahl salt-sensitive rats.
- To compare the impact of high complex carbohydrate, high simple sugar (fructose), and high-fat diets on cardiovascular outcomes during hypertension.
- To elucidate the specific role of dietary fructose in exacerbating hypertension-related cardiac pathology.
Main Methods:
- Four diets were used: complex carbohydrate (CC), high fat (FAT), high fructose (FRU), and western (WES).
- Hypertension was induced by adding 6% NaCl to the chow of half the animals in each diet group.
- Blood pressure, tail cuff measurements, and echocardiography were assessed at specific time points.
Main Results:
- All high-salt diets induced similar levels of hypertension across groups.
- High fructose diet with salt (FRU+S) led to increased left ventricular wall thickness, unlike other groups.
- Mortality was observed in WES+S (18%) and CC+S (30%) groups, with FRU+S showing the highest mortality (85%) starting after 45 days.
Conclusions:
- A high fructose diet significantly increases mortality in hypertensive rats.
- High fructose consumption during hypertension exacerbates left ventricular wall thickness.
- Dietary fructose poses a greater risk to cardiovascular health during hypertension compared to high-fat or high-starch diets.
Background:
Chronic hypertension leads to cardiac hypertrophy, heart failure, and premature death. Little is known about the impact of dietary macronutrient composition on hypertension-induced cardiac hypertrophy and mortality. We investigated the effects of consuming either a high complex carbohydrate diet, a high simple sugar diet, or a high fat diet on cardiac hypertrophy and mortality in hypertensive Dahl salt-sensitive (DSS) rats.
Methods:
Rats were assigned to four diets: complex carbohydrate (CC; 70% starch, 10% fat, 20% protein by energy), high fat (FAT; 20% carbohydrates, 60% fat, 20% protein), high fructose (FRU; 70% fructose, 10% fat, 20% protein), and "western" (WES; 35% fructose, 45% fat, 20% protein). Hypertension was initiated by adding 6% NaCl (+S) to the chow of half the animals within each diet (n = 10 to 13/group). Tail cuff blood pressure measurements were assessed after 5 and 11 weeks of treatment, and echocardiography were assessed after 12 weeks of treatment.
Results:
All rats fed a high salt diet had similar levels of hypertension (CC+S 220 +/-2 mm Hg, FAT+S 221 +/- 3 mm Hg, FRU+S 221 +/- 1 mm Hg, WES+S 226 +/- 3 mm Hg). Echocardiography results show that the addition of salt to FRU resulted in increased regional wall thickness that was not observed in other dietary groups. All rats fed a low salt diet (CC, FAT, FRU, WES) and the FAT+S group survived 90 days. On the other hand, there was 90-day mortality in the WES+S group (18% mortality) and the CC+S group (30% mortality). In addition, FRU+S rats started dying after 45 days of salt feeding, and only 15% survived the full 90 days.
Conclusions:
These results demonstrate that a high fructose diet consumed during hypertension increases mortality and left ventricular (LV) wall thickness compared to either a high fat, high starch, or a "western" diet.
