AUTHOR=Bao Zhengyang , Qian Zhengtao , Chen Jiale , Chen Yu , Li Na , Ye Yang , Ren Yongwei , Tang Yiming , Chen Daozhen 

TITLE=Relationships between different trends of the Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular disease-related risk factors in China: results from the CHNS study, 1997–2009

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1463947

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2024.1463947

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=<sec id="sec1"><title>Objectives</title><p>The present study aimed to explore the associations between Mediterranean diet trajectories (MDTs) and cardiovascular disease-related risk factors in Chinese adults.</p></sec><sec id="sec2"><title>Methods</title><p>A total of 4,332 participants from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) were included in this study. A group-based trajectory model (GBTM) was used to explore Mediterranean diet trajectories (MDTs). Linear regression analyses were conducted to assess the association between Mediterranean diet trajectories and cardiovascular disease-related risk factors. Stratified analyses by gender were also performed.</p></sec><sec id="sec3"><title>Results</title><p>The following four groups were identified in the total population: Group 1 (Persistently low MDT, <italic>n</italic> = 292, 6.74%), Group 2 (Descent MDT, <italic>n</italic> = 537, 12.40%), Group 3 (Ascent MDT, <italic>n</italic> = 454, 10.48%), and Group 4 (Persistently high MDT, <italic>n</italic> = 3,049, 70.38%). Compared to the persistently low MDT (Group 1), both Group 2 and Group 4 were negatively related to low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) (Group 2: <italic>β</italic> = −0.23, 95% CI: −0.36 to −0.09, <italic>p</italic> = 0.001; Group 4: <italic>β</italic> = −0.25, 95% CI: −0.37 to −0.14, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001), total cholesterol (TC) (Group 2: <italic>β</italic> = −0.18, 95% CI: −0.32 to −0.04, <italic>p</italic> = 0.010; Group 4: <italic>β</italic> = −0.31, 95% CI: −0.43 to −0.19, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001), and uric acid (UA) (Group 2: <italic>β</italic> = −15.16, 95% CI: −28.66 to −2.56, <italic>p</italic> = 0.019; Group 4: <italic>β</italic> = −27.51, 95% CI: −38.77 to −16.25, <italic>p</italic> &lt; 0.001) after adjusting for potential risk factors. Only Group 4 exhibited a negative relationship with triglycerides (TG) (<italic>β</italic> = −0.18, 95% CI: −0.34 to −0.02, <italic>p</italic> = 0.028) and blood glucose (<italic>β</italic> = −0.19, 95% CI: −0.37 to −0.02, <italic>p</italic> = 0.032).</p></sec><sec id="sec4"><title>Conclusion</title><p>Four MDTs were identified among the total participants, including men and women. These trajectories were summarized as persistently low MDT, ascent MDT, descent MDT, and persistently high MDT. Adherence to high MDTs could reduce the level of some CVD-related risk factors. The impact of the remote MD on CVD-related risk factors may be greater than that of the proximal MD.</p></sec>