NP005 Measuring dietary pattern change after cardiac events

• Published in: Canadian journal of cardiology Vol. 27; no. 5; pp. S360 - S361
• Main Authors: McKinley, K, Currie, L, Lear, S, Mackay, M
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.09.2011
• Subjects: Cardiovascular
• ISSN: 0828-282X; 1916-7075
• DOI: 10.1016/j.cjca.2011.08.076

There has been a strong link made between dietary content and cardiac disease risk. Diets high in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, fish and poultry and lower in red meat have been shown to lower cardiac disease risk in both women and men. National diet guidelines, such as the Canada Food Guide (CFG), provide information on basic healthful eating. However, the CFG lacks the details that are recommended in several cardiac disease specific diets. The Alternate Health Eating Index (AHEI) is a scoring index that accounts for specific dietary factors such as types of fat, forms of carbohydrates and specific protein sources. High levels of adherence to the AHEI are associated with significantly lower cardiovascular disease risk in both men and women. Current methods of measuring adherence to dietary recommendations do not capture subtle shifts in diet for patient with cardiac disease. The purpose of this ongoing study is to describe trends in dietary patterns, using both the CFG and AHEI, of patients with coronary heart disease, after admission to the hospital with a cardiac event. If trends do exist in dietary adherence, educational and other interventions can be focused on critical times when patterns are likely to change.