A Summary of the study on “Plant-based diets and the incidence of cardiovascular disease: the Million Veteran Program”
Introduction
The research by Y, Wang and Nguyen (2023) published in BMJ Nutrition, Prevention and Health investigated the link between plant-based eating habits and cardiovascular disease risk among 148,506 participants from the Million Veteran Program who did not have diabetes, CVD, or cancer at the start. Three plant-based diet indices were computed: an overall Plant-Based Diet Index (PDI), a healthful PDI (hPDI), and an unhealthful PDI (uPDI) to measure adherence to plant-based diets while considering the quality of plant foods.
Key Discoveries
Upon adjusting for other factors, a higher PDI was significantly linked to a reduced risk of CVD (HR comparing extreme quintiles = 0.75, 95% CI 0.68-0.82, P trend < 0.0001). The hPDI was connected to a lower risk of CVD (HR comparing extreme quintiles = 0.71, 95% CI 0.64-0.78, P trend < 0.001), while the uPDI was linked to a higher risk of CVD (HR comparing extreme quintiles = 1.12, 95% CI 1.02-1.24, P trend < 0.001). An increase of 10 units in hPDI was related to decreased risks of fatal CVD (HR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.75-0.87), non-fatal myocardial infarction (HR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.79-0.94), and non-fatal acute ischemic stroke (HR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.78-0.95). The negative association between PDI and CVD risk was consistent across different racial/ethnic groups (European Americans and African Americans) and subgroups based on sex, smoking habits, weight status, income, and initial health conditions.
Importance
The study offers proof that a plant-based diet rich in healthy plant foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, nuts, legumes, and tea/coffee is linked to a significantly lower risk of CVD, including heart attacks and strokes, in a large group of U.S. veterans with diverse backgrounds. Conversely, an unhealthy plant-based diet high in refined grains, potatoes, sweets, and desserts was associated with a higher risk of CVD. These results support the recommendation of a healthy plant-based diet for preventing cardiovascular disease.
