Dietary patterns of patients with chronic coronary heart disease: A cross-sectional study

Abstract

The objective of this study was to identify dietary patterns in an outpatient cohort of coronary heart disease (CHD) patients, to compare these patterns with dietary recom-mendations of the international cardiology guidelines, and verify associations with cardiovascular risk factors. Dietary intake was assessed through a food frequency questionnaire. Dietary patterns were identified by cluster analysis. The total energy intake, fiber, cholesterol, macro and micronutrients were calculated. Two dietary patterns were identified in 123 patients. Pattern I was characterized by a greater consumption of whole carbohydrates, beans, meats, vegetables, and fruits. Pattern II was rich in refined carbohydrates, fried foods, and sweets. Participants in pattern I had lower values of diastolic blood pressure (DBP) with 77.1 ± 9.9 mmHg (p= 0.002) and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) of 7.83 ± 1.76 % (p= 0.029) compared to pattern II with 84.1 ± 14.3 mmHg and 9.02 ± 2.29 %, respectively. Therefore, pattern I had a healthier nutritional composition, however, nutritional adequacy was still lacking. Despite this, participants in pattern I had significantly lower values of DBP and HbA1c, in addition to being associated with a better control of DBP.