Original Article
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2009) 63, 1213–1219; doi:10.1038/ejcn.2009.45; published online 24 June 2009
Dietary fibre intake is inversely associated with carotid intima-media thickness: a cross-sectional assessment in the PREDIMED study
Contributors: PB, JD, MAM and MS were involved in the study design, recruitment of study subjects, data collection and data management, statistical analyses, and writing of the paper. PI, MR and EMV were involved in the study design, data collection and performance of IMT studies in Pamplona. ER, RG and IN were involved in the study design, recruitment of study subjects, data collection and performance of IMT studies in Barcelona. ER and MAM obtained funding. All authors provided suggestions during the preparation of the paper and approved the final version submitted for publication.
P Buil-Cosiales1, P Irimia2, E Ros3,4, M Riverol2, R Gilabert3,4, E Martinez-Vila2, I Núñez3,4, J Diez-Espino1, M A Martínez-González5 and M Serrano-Martínez5
- 1Primary Care, Servicio Navarro de Salud, Osasunbidea, Pamplona, Spain
- 2Department of Neurology, Cliníca Universidad de Navarra, University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
- 3Lipid Clinic, Endocrinology and Nutrition Service (ER) and Centre de Diagnòstic per l'Imatge (RG, IN), Institut d'Investigacions Biomèdiques August Pi Sunyer (IDIBAPS), Hospital Clínic, Barcelona, Spain
- 4Ciber Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CIBEROBN) (ER, IN), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Spain
- 5Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, University of Navarra-Clinica Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spain
Correspondence: Professor MA Martinez-Gonzalez, Departamento de Medicina Preventiva y Salud Pública, University of Navarra, C/ Irunlarrea n° 1, Pamplona, Navarra, E-31080, Spain. E-mail: mamartinez@unav.es
Received 19 October 2008; Revised 24 April 2009; Accepted 27 April 2009; Published online 24 June 2009.
Abstract
Objective:
To assess the association between the intake of dietary fibre and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in a Mediterranean population at high cardiovascular risk.
Methods:
Baseline cross-sectional assessment of 457 men and women (average age 67 years) from two different Spanish centres of the PREDIMED trial. A previously validated food frequency questionnaire (137 food items) was administered by trained dieticians in a face-to-face interview. Mean common carotid IMT was measured using B-mode ultrasound imaging of the right and left carotid arteries by four certified sonographers who used a common protocol. Anthropometric and blood pressure measurements were performed and samples of fasting blood were obtained. Participants were categorized into four groups (roughly quartiles: 
21; >21 to 25; >25 to 31 and >31 g/day) of energy-adjusted intake of dietary fibre. Multiple linear regression models were used to adjust for age, sex, centre, smoking, body mass index, diabetes, blood pressure, lipid levels and statin use.
Results:
In the crude analyses, energy-adjusted fibre intake showed a significant inverse correlation with IMT (r=-0.27, P<0.001). In multivariate analyses, a modest, though statistically significant (P=0.03) inverse association between energy-adjusted fibre intake and IMT was also found. The multivariate-adjusted difference in average IMT was -0.051 mm (95% confidence interval: -0.094 to-0.009, P=0.02) for participants whose intake was >35 g/day, (n=47) when compared with those whose intake was <25 g/day (n=224).
Conclusions:
Our results suggest that high fibre intake is inversely associated with carotid atherosclerosis.
Keywords:
Cardiovascular disease, carotid intima-media thickness, dietary fibre, cardiovascular risk, atherosclerosis, Mediterranean diet
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European Journal of Clinical Nutrition Original Article
