Department of Nutrition and Health Science, Ball State University, 1613 W Riverside Ave, Muncie, IN, 47303, USA.
College of Health Solutions, Arizona State University, 550 N. 3rd Street, Phoenix, AZ, 85004, USA.
BMC Res Notes. 2022 Feb 19;15(1):69. doi: 10.1186/s13104-022-05957-w.
Arterial stiffness is a strong predictor of cardiovascular mortality, and often precedes elevations in blood pressure. This cross-sectional pilot study examined differences in arterial stiffness, blood pressure, cardiometabolic markers, anthropometric outcomes, and inflammation in vegetarians and matched omnivores. Participants were healthy, non-smoking adults (18-65 years old) adhering to either a vegetarian/vegan or omnivore diet. Omnivores were matched to vegetarians using broad body mass index (BMI) categories.
Arterial stiffness trended higher in omnivores versus vegetarians (7.0 ± 1.5 and 6.8 ± 1.1 m/s, respectively; p = 0.073). This trend was mainly driven by the male omnivores (p = 0.006 for gender effect and p = 0.294 for eating pattern effect). Omnivores displayed higher HDL concentrations compared to vegetarians, 63.8 ± 18.5 and 55.2 ± 16.9 mg/dL; however, total cholesterol/HDL ratio did not vary significantly between groups; p = 0.310. In men, a vegetarian eating pattern may reduce arterial stiffness; however, this benefit may be limited in women, particularly those who are premenopausal. Future research should examine arterial stiffness and cardiometabolic health outcomes in younger versus older female vegetarians, as these data can provide valuable insights on the role of plant-based eating patterns on arterial stiffness and cardiometabolic health.
动脉僵硬度是心血管死亡率的一个强有力的预测指标，且通常先于血压升高。本横断面研究探讨了素食者和匹配的杂食者之间动脉僵硬度、血压、心血管代谢标志物、人体测量学结果和炎症的差异。参与者为健康、不吸烟的成年人（18-65 岁），遵循素食/纯素食或杂食饮食。杂食者根据广义的体重指数（BMI）类别与素食者相匹配。
与素食者相比，杂食者的动脉僵硬度呈上升趋势（分别为 7.0±1.5 和 6.8±1.1 m/s；p=0.073）。这种趋势主要是由男性杂食者驱动的（性别效应的 p=0.006，饮食模式效应的 p=0.294）。与素食者相比，杂食者的高密度脂蛋白（HDL）浓度较高，分别为 63.8±18.5 和 55.2±16.9 mg/dL；然而，总胆固醇/HDL 比值在两组间无显著差异；p=0.310。在男性中，素食饮食模式可能会降低动脉僵硬度；然而，这种益处可能在女性中受到限制，尤其是在绝经前女性中。未来的研究应该检查年轻和年老的女性素食者的动脉僵硬度和心血管代谢健康结果，因为这些数据可以为植物性饮食模式对动脉僵硬度和心血管代谢健康的作用提供有价值的见解。
