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The purpose of this study was to examine how using the mean of two consecutive measurements vs. one measurement post-treatment influences the sample size required to detect changes in cardiometabolic risk factors in dietary studies. For a given statistical power, using the mean of two measurements taken on consecutive days post-treatment instead of a single measurement significantly reduces the sample size required to observe changes in triglyceride, total apolipoprotein B100, and C-reactive protein concentrations in the context of a supplementation study. In the context of a controlled-feeding study, this gain is seen only in the case of change in triglyceride concentrations., Author(s): Janie Allaire [sup.1], Denis Talbot [sup.2] [sup.3], Patrick Couture [sup.1] [sup.2], André Tchernof [sup.2] [sup.4], Peter J. H. Jones [sup.5], Penny Kris-Etherton [sup.6], Sheila G. West [sup.6], Philip W. [...]

Objective: Explore the relationship between eating competence (EC) and biomarkers of risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Design: Secondary analysis of data collected for a larger, 2-way crossover clinical trial. Setting: Outpatient clinical research center. Participants: Forty-eight hypercholesterolemic (LDL cholesterol [greater than or equal] 110 mg/dL) men (n = 19) and women (n = 29) 21 to 70 years of age. Main Outcome Measures: Participant descriptives, cardiovascular disease biomarker levels, and eating competence (EC) determined by the ecSatter Inventory (ecSI). Analysis: T tests for differences in eating competence between males and females, analysis of variance for differences in risk between those categorized as EC or not. Associations between EC and baseline biochemical measures, as well as participant characteristics and dietary intake, were assessed by Pearson correlation analyses. Logistic regression estimated relative risk of CVD risk factors from ecSI scores. Results: Several significant associations were found between EC total and CVD risk factors. Eating competence was positively correlated with HDL-cholesterol, and inversely associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure. High EC participants had significantly lower ratios of total cholesterol: HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides: HDL-cholesterol. Participants who were not eating competent were 5 times more likely to have LDL-cholesterol levels [greater than or equal] 130 mg/dL and 7 times more likely to have triglyceride levels [greater than or equal] 150 mg/dL. Conclusions and Implications: Eating competence appears to be a cognitive, affective construct with physiological manifestations, making nutrition education to increase eating competence a medical nutrition therapy. (Contains 2 figures and 4 tables.)

Pistachios are high in lutein, [beta]-carotene, and [gamma]-tocopherol relative to other nuts; however, studies of the effects of pistachios on oxidative status are lacking. We conducted a randomized, crossover controlled-feeding study to evaluate 2 doses of pistachios on serum antioxidants and biomarkers of oxidative status in 28 hypercholesterolemic adults (LDL-cholesterol [less than or equal to] 2.86 mmol/L). Participants consumed 3 isoenergetic diets for 4 wk each after a 2-wk baseline Western diet. Experimental diets included a lower-fat control diet without pistachios (25% total fat) with 1 serving/d (i.e. 32-63 g/d; energy adjusted) of pistachios (1 PD; 10% energy from pistachios; 30% total fat) or with 2 servings/d (63-126g/d; energy adjusted) of pistachios (2 PD; 20% energy from pistachios; 34% total fat). When participants consumed the pistachio-enriched diets, they had higher plasma lutein (P < 0.0001), [alpha]-carotene, and [beta]-carotene (P < 0.01) concentrations than after the baseline diet. After consuming the pistachio diets, participants had greater plasma lutein (P < 0.001 ) and [gamma]-tocopherol (P < 0.05; 2 PD only) relative to the lower-fat control diet. After the 2 PD diet period, participants also had lower serum oxidized-LDL concentrations than following the baseline diet period (P < 0.05). After both the 1 PD and 2 PD diet periods, they had lower serum oxidized-LDL concentrations than after the control diet period (P < 0.05). The change in oxidized-LDL from baseline correlated positively with the change in LDL-cholesterol across all treatments (r = 0.42; P < 0.005). After controlling for the change in serum LDL-cholesterol as a covariate, increases in serum lutein and [gamma]-tocopherol following the 2 PD period were still modestly associated with decreases in oxidized-LDL (r = -0.36, P = 0.06 and r = -0.35, P = 0.08, respectively). This suggests that a heart-healthy diet including pistachios contributes to the decrease in the serum oxidized-LDL concentration through cholesterol-lowering and may provide an added benefit as a result of the antioxidants the pistachios contain. J. Nutr. 140: 1093-1098, 2010. doi:10.3945/jn.109.117366.

Objective: Explore the relationship between eating competence (EC) and biomarkers of risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD). Design: Secondary analysis of data collected for a larger, 2-way crossover clinical trial. Selling: Outpatient clinical research center. Participants: Forty-eight hypercholesterolemic LDL cholesterol [greater than or equal to] 110 mg/dL) men (n = 19) and women (n = 29) 21 to 70 years of age. Main Outcome Measures: Participant descriptives, cardiovascular disease biomarker levels, and eating competence (EC) determined by the ecSatter Inventory (ecSI). Analysis: T tests for differences in eating competence between males and females, analysis of variance for differences in risk between those categorized as EC or not. Associations between EC and baseline biochemical measures, as well as participant characteristics and dietary intake, were assessed by Pearson correlation analyses. Logistic regression estimated relative risk of CVD risk factors from ecSI scores. Results: Several significant associations were found between EC total and CVD risk factors. Eating competence was positively correlated with HDL-cholesterol, and inversely associated with systolic and diastolic blood pressure. High EC participants had significantly lower ratios of total cholesterol: HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides: HDL-cholesterol. Participants who were not eating competent were 5 times more likely to have LDL-cholesterol levels [greater than or equal to] 130 mg/dL and 7 times more likely to have triglyceride levels [greater than or equal to] 150 mg/dL. Conclusions and Implications: Eating competence appears to be a cognitive, affective construct with physiological manifestations, making nutrition education to increase eating competence a medical nutrition therapy. Key Words: eating competence, cardiovascular risk, biomarkers, behavior

The consumption of high levers of saturated fat over the course of several weeks may lead to exaggerated cardiovascular reactivity. The consumption of a single high-fat meal has been associated with a transient impairment of vascular function. In a randomized, repeated measures, crossover study we tested whether the consumption of a single high-fat meal by healthy, normotensive participants would affect cardiovascular reactivity when compared with an isocaloric, low-fat meal. Thirty healthy participants ate a high-fat (42 g) and a low-fat (1 g) meal on 2 separate occasions, and their cardiovascular response to 2 standard laboratory stressors was measured. Systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and total peripheral resistance were greater in participants following the consumption of the high-fat meal relative to the low-fat meal. The findings of the present study are consistent with the hypothesis that even a single high-fat meal may be associated with heightened cardiovascular reactivity to stress and offer insight into the pathways through which a high-fat diet may affect cardiovascular function. J. Nutr. 137: 935-939, 2007.

Recent evidence suggests that individuals with high concentrations of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, are less responsive to cholesterol-lowering diets. CRP concentrations are increased by oral estrogen; however, the effect of soy phytoestrogens on inflammation has not been studied comprehensively, especially in women receiving hormone replacement therapy (HRT). This study was conducted to determine whether adding soy to a low-fat, high-fiber diet affects CRP and interleukin (IL)-6, and to examine the association between CRP levels and lipid response in moderately hypercholesterolemic adults (men = 18, postmenopausal women = 14; 6 receiving HRT). After a 3-wk run-in period with consumption of a Step I diet (27% total fat, 7% saturated fat, 275 mg cholesterol), participants were randomly assigned to diets containing 25 g/d soy protein (+ 90 mg/d isoflavones) or 25 g/d milk protein for 6 wk in a crossover design. Lipids and lipoproteins, CRP, and IL-6 were measured at the end of each diet and participants were categorized into high (>3.5 mg/L) or low CRP groups based on a median split. The addition of soy or milk protein to the Step I diet did not affect lipids or inflammatory markers. Regardless of protein source, those with low CRP exhibited significant decreases in LDL cholesterol (-3.5%) and the LDL:HDL cholesterol ratio (-4.8%), whereas those with high CRP had significant increases in LDL cholesterol (+4.8%), the LDL:HDL cholesterol ratio (+5.2%), apolipoprotein B (+3.8%), and lipoprotein(a) (+13.5%) compared with the run-in diet. These results suggest that inflammation may not only attenuate lipid responses, but also aggravate dyslipidemia in hypercholesterolemic subjects consuming a cholesterol-lowering diet. KEY WORDS: * inflammation * cholesterol * diet * isoflavones * hormone replacement therapy

When administered intravenously, L-arginine substantially reduces blood pressure (BP) and peripheral vascular resistance in healthy adults and in patients with vascular disease. Oral L-arginine has been shown to improve endothelial function; however, it is not clear whether oral administration has significant effects on systemic hemodynamics. In a randomized, placebo-controlled, crossover study we tested whether oral L-arginine (12 g/d for 3 wk) affected hemodynamics, glucose, insulin, or C-reactive protein in 16 middle-age men with hypercholesterolemia. After each treatment, hemodynamic variables were measured at rest and during 2 standardized stressor tasks (a simulated public-speaking task and the cold pressor). Regardless of treatment, the stressor tasks increased BP and heart rate (P [less than or equal to] 0.02). Relative to placebo, L-arginine changed cardiac output (-0.4 L/m), diastolic BP (-1.9 mm Hg), pre-ejection period (+3.4 ms), and plasma homocysteine (-2.0 umol/L) (P [less than or equal to] 0.03). The change in plasma L-arginine was inversely correlated with the change in plasma homocysteine (r = -0.57, P = 0.03). Contrary to the results of previous studies of L-arginine administered intravenously, oral administration did not affect total peripheral resistance or plasma insulin. Oral L-arginine also did not affect plasma glucose, C-reactive protein, or lipids. This pattern of findings is consistent with the hypothesis that oral L-arginine reduces BP. This study is the first to describe a hemodynamic mechanism for the hypotensive effect of oral L-arginine and the first to show substantial reductions in homocysteine with oral administration. KEY WORDS: * L-arginine * peripheral resistance * hemodynamic * homocysteine * acute stress

[alpha]-Linolenic acid (ALA) reduces cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, possibly by favorably changing vascular inflammation and endothelial dysfunction. Inflammatory markers and lipids and lipoproteins were assessed in hypercholesterolemic subjects (n = 23) fed 2 diets low in saturated fat and cholesterol, and high in PUFA varying in ALA (ALA Diet) and linoleic acid (LA Diet) compared with an average American diet (AAD). The ALA Diet provided 17% energy from PUFA (10.5% LA; 6.5% ALA); the LA Diet provided 16.4% energy from PUFA (12.6% LA; 3.6%,ALA); and the AAD provided 8.7% energy from PUFA (7.7% LA; 0.8% ALA). The ALA Diet decreased C-reactive protein (CRP, P < 0.01), whereas the LA Diet tended to decrease CRP (P = 0.08). Although the 2 high-PUFA diets similarly decreased intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 vs. AAD (-19.1% by the ALA Diet, P < 0.01; - 11.0% by the LA Diet, P < 0.01), the ALA Diet decreased vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1, -15.6% vs. -3.1%, P < 0.01) and E-selectin (-14.6% vs. -8.1%, P < 0.01) more than the LA Diet. Changes in CRP and VCAM-1 were inversely associated with changes in serum eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (r = -0.496, P = 0.016; r = -0.418, P = 0.047), or EPA plus docosapentaenoic acid (r = -0.409, P = 0.053; r = -0.357, P = 0.091) after subjects consumed the ALA Diet. The 2 high-PUFA diets decreased serum total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and triglycerides similarly (P < 0.05); the ALA Diet decreased HDL cholesterol and apolipoprotein Al compared with the AAD (P < 0.05). ALA appears to decrease CVD risk by inhibiting vascular inflammation and endothelial activation beyond its lipid-lowering effects. KEY WORDS: * [alpha]-linolenic acid * PUFA * C-reactive protein * cell adhesion molecules * lipids and lipoproteins

The article focuses on polymorphisms in the stearoyl-CoA desaturase gene modify blood glucose response to dietary oils varying in MUFA content in adults with obesity.

Research is presented about the ways potassium supplements can produce hemodynamic benefits. Typical US diet levels of salt and potassium, affect of this diet on blood pressure, and salt sensitivity are discussed.