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In this week’s newsletter, we bring forward a research study that points out the effect of plasma fatty acids (FAs) on the risk of cardiovascular disease. Investigators conducted a case-cohort study nested within the PREDIMED trial and evaluated the relationship between changes in plasma phospholipid fatty acids and cardiovascular risk, in a high cardiovascular risk population. Two groups of participants were assigned a Mediterranean diet (MedDiet), with the first one supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil (MedDiet + EVOO) and the second one with mixed nuts (MedDiet + nuts). The changes in FA profile were different for each MedDiet group, but a significant decrease in the n6 FAs was observed in both groups after one year. Moreover, the increase of C18:2n6c (linoleic acid, LA) observed in the MedDiet + nuts was associated with a lower subsequent risk of cardiovascular disease. Similarly, in a nested cohort from the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) study, researchers looked to characterize the link between certain dietary patterns and circulating metabolites, while also examining their associations with stroke risk. The researchers assessed 162 metabolites from plasma at baseline. Mediation analyses showed that guanosine, gluconic acid, and C7 carnitine could be potential mediators linking plant-based diets, including the MedDiet, to reduced stroke risk.
On a different topic, the incidence of diabetes is rapidly increasing due to the rising prevalence of obesity. In this regard, it is key to implement diabetes prevention strategies, such as lifestyle interventions. A group of researchers from the CORonary Diet Intervention with Olive oil and cardiovascular PREVention study (CORDIOPREV) set out to assess if greater consumption of plant-based proteins, at expense of reducing animal proteins, was associated with an increase of type 2 Diabetes remission in a population of newly diagnosed diabetic patients with coronary heart disease, without weight loss nor pharmacological treatment. Strikingly, their results showed that participants that increased plant protein intake were more likely to remit from diabetes than those who decreased their intake.
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