AUTHOR=Chiu Tina H. T. , Kao Yun-Chun , Wang Ling-Yi , Chang Huai-Ren , Lin Chin-Lon 

TITLE=A Dietitian-Led Vegan Program May Improve GlycA, and Other Novel and Traditional Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Patients With Dyslipidemia: A Pilot Study

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=9

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2022.807810

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2022.807810

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Background</title><p>Systematic inflammation and lipid profiles are two major therapeutic targets for cardiovascular diseases. The effect of a nutritionally balanced vegan diet on systematic inflammation and lipoprotein subclass awaits further examination.</p></sec><sec><title>Objective</title><p>To investigate the change in novel and traditional cardiometabolic risk factors before and after a dietitian-led vegan program, and to test the bioavailability of vitamin B12 in Taiwanese purple laver as part of a vegan diet.</p></sec><sec><title>Design</title><p>A one-arm pilot intervention study.</p></sec><sec><title>Participants/Setting</title><p>Nine patients with dyslipidemia participated in this 12-week vegan program.</p></sec><sec><title>Main Outcome Measures</title><p>Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) detected GlycA signals (systematic inflammation) and lipoprotein subclass (atherogenicity); trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO); and other cardiometabolic risk factors.</p></sec><sec><title>Statistical Analyses Performed</title><p>Wilcoxon signed-rank test.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>In this 12-week vegan intervention emphasizing whole foods, systematic inflammation improved as indicated by a reduction in GlycA (median: −23 μmol/L, <italic>p</italic> = 0.01). LDL-c (low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) (median −24 mg/dl, <italic>p</italic> = 0.04) and LDL-p (low-density lipoprotein particles) (median −75 nmol/L, <italic>p</italic> = 0.02) both decreased significantly. VLDL (very-low-density lipoprotein) and chylomicron particles showed a decreasing trend (−23.6 nmol/L, <italic>p</italic> = 0.05). Without caloric restriction, body mass index (BMI) (−0.7 kg/m<sup>2</sup>, <italic>p</italic> = 0.03), waist circumferences (−2.0 cm, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001), HbA1c (−0.2%, <italic>p</italic> = 0.02), and (HOMA-IR) homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance (−0.7, <italic>p</italic> = 0.04) have all improved. The change in the TMAO and vitamin B12 status as measured by holo-transcobalamin appeared to depend on baseline diets, TMAO, and vitamin B12 status.</p></sec><sec><title>Conclusions</title><p>A dietitian-led vegan program may improve systematic inflammation and other novel and traditional cardiometabolic risk factors in high-risk individuals.</p></sec>