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Background: Many epidemiologic, experimental, and clinical studies have shown that the amounts and type of fat in the diet influence plasma lipid levels. Dietary fat has been shown to have a role in cardiovascular diseases., Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between dietary fatty acids and serum lipids in 150 overweight adults., Material and Methods: The examinations were performed in 150 adults, aged from 25 to 65 years with overweight and obese. Fat intakes are estimated from one 24-hour dietary recall interview. Data obtained with 24-hour questionnaire method were calculated with computer program Dieta 4. Statistical analysis was performed using a computer program Statistica., Results: Mean energy intake amounted 2579.2 +/- 786.2 kcal per day. The fat intake provided 34.6 +/- 8.5% of total energy, including saturated fatty acid--13.6% of total energy. Saturated fatty acids was not correlated with lipid profiles. Stearic acid was inversely correlated with the high-density lipoprotein. There were no signifificant associations between stearic acid and total cholesterol and plasma LDL cholesterol. Monounsaturated fat, including the oleic acid were affected lipid profiles by decreased total cholesterol and LDL-C. PUFA was correlated with decreased total cholesterol and plasma LDL cholesterol. Inverse correlation between arachidonic acid and HDL-C and between linoleic acid and LDL-C was observed., Conclusions: This study indicates that the type of fat, but not only the total amount of fat, predicts serum cholesterol and its fractions levels. The proportion of SFA, MUFA, PUFA in diet determines their effect on serum lipids profile.

Animal fats are generally considered as a source of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol, identified with arteriosclerosis and its clinical complications (cardiovascular diseases with heart attack, stroke, cerebral claudication). The real reason of arteriosclerosis are inflammation states of blood vessel endothelium caused by oxidative stress, hiperhomocysteinemia, hipertrigliceridemia, presence of artificial trans isomers and excess of eicosanoids originated from poliunsaturated fatty acids n-6. Present status of science proves that both saturated fatty acids and cholesterol present in animal food can not cause inflammation state. Moreover, animal fats are source of antioxidants active both in food and in human organism. Due to high oxidative stability animal fats do not make threat to human health. Milk fat, though high content of saturated fatty acids and cholesterol, possesses comprehensive pro-health activity--against arteriosclerosis and cancerogenesis.

Trans-fatty acids (TFA) are formed during the industrial process of hydrogenation of vegetable oils. The consumption of hydrogenated fats has increased significantly over the last few decades. In Poland, the average daily intake of TFA for adults was estimated to be 2.8 to 6.9 g; which greatly exceeds the recommended daily maximum of 2 g/day (less than 1% of total energy intake). Increasing trans-fatty acid intake has detrimental effects on the lipid profile: TFA raise total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, and decrease HDL-cholesterol levels. Moreover, dietary trans-fatty acids may increase plasma levels of lipoprotein (a) and biomarkers of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Several studies have demonstrated that a high intake of TFA is associated with an increased risk of coronary heart disease. In addition, TFA consumption has been implicated as an independent risk factor for sudden cardiac arrest. It is therefore necessary to reduce the intake of hydrogenated fats rich in trans-fatty acids in order to minimize the adverse effects of TFA on health.

Unsaturated fatty acids with the trans configuration (TFA) are recognized as the most harmful type of fatty acids. The main human source of TFA are foods containing hardened plant oils. Evidence is aplenty that TFA are responsible for increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, tumors, type 2 diabetes, and inflammatory conditions. Due to the harmful action of TFA it is of particular importance to determine the exact effects of TFA on pregnancy and fetal development which will in consequence affect the health of adults. It is believed that the inhibited synthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the presence of TFA is among factors that determine birthweight, duration of pregnancy, and development of the nervous system during intrauterine life and after birth. Pregnant women consuming significant amounts of TFA are at risk of pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, and insulin resistance. Reports on the harmful action of TFA on humans persuasively reveal the need to limit their intake, particularly during pregnancy and lactation.

Currently, a high carbohydrate/low fat diet is recommended for patients with heart failure and/or hypertension; however, the potentially important role that the composition of dietary fat and carbohydrate might play in the development of LVH and heart failure has not been well characterized. Recent studies demonstrate that cardiomyocyte hypertrophy can also be triggered by activation of insulin signalling pathways, altered adipokine levels or the activity of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs), suggesting that metabolic alterations play a role in the pathophysiology of LVH and heart failure. Hypertensive patients with high plasma insulin or metabolic syndrome have a greater occurrence of LVH, which could be due to insulin activation of the serine-threonine kinase Akt and its downstream targets in the heart, resulting in cellular hypertrophy. PPARs also activate cardiac gene expression and growth, and are stimulated by fatty acids and consumption of a high fat diet. Dietary intake of fats and carbohydrate, the resultant effects of plasma insulin, adipokine, and lipid concentrations, may affect cardiomyocyte size and function, particularly following cardiac injury or with chronic hypertension. This review discusses potential mechanisms by which dietary carbohydrates and fats can affect cardiac growth, metabolism and function, particularly in the context of pressure overload LVH.

Unlabelled: The effect of diet on the development of liver steatosis is a rarely analyzed problem. No effective methods of treatment of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis have been developed, either. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of high-fat diet and rosiglitazone administration on (1) lipid parameters in the serum, (2) insulin resistance and (3) development of liver steatosis., Materials and Methods: The material comprised 60 adult male Wistar rats. The animals were divided into 5 main groups. The first three groups (AT, AR and AL) were fed with high-fat diets (63% energy from fats, 23% from carbohydrates), the animals in the remaining two ones (KH and KL) received low-fat diet (10% energy from fats, 57% from carbohydrates). Rats from the AL and KL groups received rosiglitazone (10 micromol/ kg b.w.) through a gastric tube. After 9 weeks, the experiment was terminated in groups AT, AL, KL whereas in the AR group high-fat diet was replaced with low-fat diet after 9 weeks and the experiment was terminated after further 7 weeks., Results: The highest rates of liver steatosis were observed in groups receiving high-fat diet, both in the group where rosiglitazone was administered (10/12; 83.3%) and in the group fed with high-fat diet only (8/12; 66.6%). In group AR, as well as in both KH and KL groups no cases of liver steatosis were observed. Group AT demonstrated the highest mean levels of total cholesterol in the serum in comparison with AL (p<0.01), AR (p<0.001), KH (p<0.00001) and KL (p<0.00001). Simultaneously, significantly higher triglyceride level was found in group AT as compared with AL (p<0.001) and KL (p<0.01). In the AL. vs. AT group, besides lower glucose level, lower concentrations of insulin (p<0.0001), peptide C (p<0.000001), as well as lower insulin secretion index (p<0.0001) and insulin resistance (HOMA) (p<0.001) were also observed. A comparison of groups AT and KH revealed a significant increase of mean glucose level (p<0.0001) and peptide C (p<0.05) in group KH in comparison with AT., Conclusions: 1. High-fat diet promotes the development of unfavorable lipid profile changes (hypercholesterolemia, hypertriglyceridemia), insulin resistance, as well as the development of liver steatosis. 2. Rosiglitazone exerts a favorable effect on both lipid profile and regulation of insulin secretion, but it does not reduce the risk of liver steatosis.

The aim of the study was to characterise changes in dietary habits and cardiovascular risk factors of the Warsaw cohort population over a 5-year observation period. Two Warsaw population samples (249 men and 259 women), aged 35-64, were surveyed in 1993 and resurveyed in years 1997/98. Over a five-year observation period, daily dietary cholesterol decreased from 363 mg to 319 mg in men and from 263 mg to 232 mg in women, the percentage of energy from fat decreased from 38.8% to 34.7% in men and from 37.1% to 31.2% in women, the percentage of energy from saturated fatty acids from 13.6% to 11.7% and from 12.9% to 10.5% respectively. These changes resulted in a significant reduction in atherogenicity of the average diet as expressed by Keys score. Intakes of vitamins B1 and B2, calcium, magnesium and iron was consistently below Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for the Polish population. Participants of both genders consumed significantly greater amounts of total bread (35%), milk (50%) and butcher meat products (22%). In the same time increase of HDL-cholesterol level (average of 2.0 mg/dl in men and 3.1 mg/dl in women) and decrease of LDL-cholesterol by 5 mg/dl in men was noted.

In the frame of the Warsaw Pol-MONICA Project three population screenings were performed in randomly selected 35-64 year men and women in 1984 (2571 participants), in 1988 (1397) and 1993 (1485). Twenty-four-hour dietary recalls were used for assessment of nutritional value of daily food ration and food products consumption. Statistical analyses was performed by linear regression method (SAS REG procedure). Substantial changes in food consumption pattern were noted during 10 years, particularly in the last 4 years. In 1993 participants of both sexes consumed significantly less cereals, butter, eggs (trend p < 0.01) and more fats of vegetable origin (trend p < 0.01). This changes reflected in nutritional values of daily food ration from 1984 to 1993: dietary cholesterol decreased from 630 mg to 433 mg in men and from 447 to 284 in women, percent of energy from saturated fatty acids decreased from 15.7% to 14.7% in men and from 15.9% to 13.9% in women, percent of energy from polyunsaturated fatty acids increased from 4.1% to 5.4% and from 4.3% to 5.5% respectively. Above mentioned changes resulted in a significant reduction of atherogenicity level of diet as expressed by Keys score. A period covered by the study was a period of economical changes in Poland associated with an introduction of a free food-market. Changes in food consumption and nutrient intake reflect the mixture of industry, mass communication patterns, and commercial advertising.

Changes having been caused during the application of high fat diet were estimated in the rabbit's heart muscle. The animals were divided into three groups. The control group was given the basic diet. The second group received high fat diet, while the third group got high fat diet and one of the 5 hypolipemic drugs (ME3, ME4, clofibrate, diprophylline, cernitin). The specimens from the left ventricle of the heart muscle were evaluated under light microscope for carrying out a number of histological and histochemical examinations, use was also made of electron microscopy. On the basis of the performed studies it has been ascertained that: 1) atherogenic diet in rabbits causes injury involving all the layers of the heart; 2) mechanism originating changes depends on vascular bed diminution, and on primary lesion of the mitochondrial system in cardiomyocytes; 3) the used drugs with hypolipemic action fail to exert favourable influence upon the image of the damaged heart muscle.

The diet of 45 men with alcoholic chronic pancreatitis in the period before the onset of the symptoms of the disease was studied. The dietary history was used as a tool in research of the dietary data. The diet of studied group was compared with the diet of 23 alcoholics without the symptoms of pancreatic injury and with the diet of 30 healthy men with similar age and social status. The energy intake and main nutrients content (especially protein and fats) was statistically higher in the studied group. High protein and fats consumption with high ethanol intake may promote the development of chronic pancreatitis.