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Fruit Intake and Abdominal Aortic Calcification in Elderly Women: A Prospective Cohort Study
Nicola P Bondonno1, Joshua R Lewis2,3,4, Richard L Prince5,6
1Royal Perth Hospital, School of Medicine and Pharmacology, University of Western Australia, Perth 6000, Western Australia, Australia. nicola.bondonno@uwa.edu.au.
Insights
Higher apple intake is linked to reduced abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) in older women. This finding suggests apples may play a role in mitigating atherosclerosis, a key marker of cardiovascular disease.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology
- Nutritional Epidemiology
- Cardiovascular Health
Background:
- Cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains a leading global cause of mortality.
- While fruit intake is generally associated with reduced CVD events, its impact on atherosclerosis markers like abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) is less understood.
- Nutritional influences on AAC, a measure of subclinical atherosclerotic vascular disease, have not been previously investigated.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the cross-sectional association between total and individual fruit consumption and abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) scores in older women.
- To determine if specific fruits, including apples, pears, oranges, and bananas, are linked to AAC levels.
Main Methods:
- A cohort of 1052 women aged over 70 years provided baseline data.
- Food frequency questionnaires assessed fruit intake.
- Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry measured abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) scores (range 0-24).
Main Results:
- AAC scores showed a significant negative correlation with total fruit and apple intake.
- No significant correlation was found between pear, orange, or banana intake and AAC scores.
- Increased apple intake (per 50 g/day) was independently associated with a 24% reduction in the odds of severe AAC (score >5).
Conclusions:
- Apple consumption, but not total or other individual fruit intake, is independently and negatively associated with abdominal aortic calcification in older women.
- These findings suggest a potential protective role for apples in reducing subclinical atherosclerosis in this demographic.
Abstract:
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide. There is a consistent inverse relationship between fruit intake with CVD events and mortality in cross-sectional and prospective observational studies, but the relationship of fruit intake with measurements of atherosclerosis in humans is less clear. Nutritional effects on abdominal aortic calcification (AAC), a marker for subclinical intimal and medial atherosclerotic vascular disease, have not been studied previously. The aim of this study was to examine the cross-sectional relationship of total and individual fruit (apple, pear, orange and other citrus, and banana) intake with AAC, scored between 0 and 24. The current study assessed baseline data for a cohort of 1052 women over 70 years of age who completed both a food frequency questionnaire assessing fruit intake, and underwent AAC measurement using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. AAC scores were significantly negatively correlated with total fruit and apple intakes (p < 0.05), but not with pear, orange or banana intakes (p > 0.25). In multivariable-adjusted logistic regression, each standard deviation (SD; 50 g/day) increase in apple intake was associated with a 24% lower odds of having severe AAC (AAC score >5) (odd ratio OR): 0.76 (0.62, 0.93), p = 0.009). Total and other individual fruit intake were not associated with increased odds of having severe AAC. Apple but not total or other fruit intake is independently negatively associated with AAC in older women.
