Phytosterol plasma concentrations and coronary heart disease in the prospective Spanish EPIC cohort.

Abstract

Phytosterol intake with natural foods, a measure of healthy dietary choices, increases plasma levels, but increased plasma phytosterols are believed to be a coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factor. To address this paradox, we evaluated baseline risk factors, phytosterol intake, and plasma noncholesterol sterol levels in participants of a case control study nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Spanish cohort who developed CHD (n = 299) and matched controls (n = 584) who remained free of CHD after a 10 year follow-up. Sitosterol-to-cholesterol ratios increased across tertiles of phytosterol intake (P = 0.026). HDL-cholesterol level increased, and adiposity measures, cholesterol/HDL ratios, and levels of glucose, triglycerides, and lathosterol, a cholesterol synthesis marker, decreased across plasma sitosterol tertiles (P < 0.02; all). Compared with controls, cases had nonsignificantly lower median levels of phytosterol intake and plasma sitosterol. The multivariable-adjusted odds ratio for CHD across the lowest to highest plasma sitosterol tertile was 0.59 (95% confidence interval, 0.36-0.97). Associations were weaker for plasma campesterol. The apolipoprotein E genotype was unrelated to CHD risk or plasma phytosterols. The data suggest that plasma sitosterol levels are associated with a lower CHD risk while being markers of a lower cardiometabolic risk in the EPIC-Spain cohort, a population with a high phytosterol intake.

• Authors: Verónica Escurriol, Montserrat Cofán, Concepción Moreno-Iribas, Nerea Larrañaga, Carmen Martínez, Carmen Navarro, Laudina Rodríguez, Carlos A González, Dolores Corella, Emilio Ros
• Journal: Journal of lipid research (J Lipid Res) Vol. 51 Issue 3 Pg. 618-24 (Mar 2010) ISSN: 1539-7262 [Electronic] United States
• PMID: 19786566 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't)

Chemical References

• Phytosterols

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Case-Control Studies
• Cohort Studies
• Coronary Disease (blood, epidemiology)
• Diet
• Female
• Humans
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Phytosterols (blood)
• Prospective Studies
• Risk Factors
• Spain