Relationship between premenopausal dietary intake and postmenopausal subclinical atherosclerosis

Objectives This study examines the association of premenopausal dietary intake with postmenopausal subclinical atherosclerosis. Design A prospective population-based cohort of 401 premenopausal women from the Healthy Women Study. Baseline premenopausal dietary intake was determined with the use of single 24-h recall. Coronary and aortic calcium scores were measured by electron beam computed tomography 8 years after menopause, and carotid plaque index was measured by carotid ultrasound scan 5 years after menopause. Results Prevalence of coronary, aortic, and carotid subclinical atherosclerosis were 47.3%, 75.4%, and 52.1%, respectively. In unadjusted analysis, the relative risks (RR) of saturated fat intake for coronary calcification in second, third and highest quartile groups compared to the lowest were 1.82 (95% confidence interval, 1.00–3.30), 1.49 (0.82–2.70), and 1.99 (1.09–3.62), while those of carbohydrate intake were 0.48 (95% confidence interval, 0.26–0.88), 0.47(0.26–0.86), and 0.35 (0.19–0.64), respectively. None of the dietary components were significantly associated with aortic calcification or carotid plaque. Conclusion The association between premenopausal dietary intake and postmenopausal subclinical atherosclerosis supports the recommended premenopausal dietary intervention for the prevention of cardiovascular disease.