TY - JOUR

T1 - Healthy lifestyle changes favourably affect common carotid intima-media thickness

T2 - the Healthy Lifestyle Community Programme (cohort 2)

AU - Koeder, Christian

AU - Husain, Sarah

AU - Kranz, Ragna Marie

AU - Anand, Corinna

AU - Alzughayyar, Dima

AU - Schoch, Nora

AU - Hahn, Andreas

AU - Englert, Heike

N1 - Funding Information: This work was conducted as part of the project ‘münster.land.leben’ and was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Joint Science Conference (GWK) within the programme ‘Innovative Hochschule’ (H.E., grant number: 03IHS062A). The funders had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis or interpretation, writing of the report or the decision to publish the findings.

PY - 2022/6/13

Y1 - 2022/6/13

N2 - Common carotid intima-media thickness (ccIMT) progression is a risk marker for cardiovascular disease (CVD), whereas healthy lifestyle habits are associated with lower ccIMT. The objective of the present study was to test whether a healthy lifestyle intervention can beneficially affect ccIMT progression. A community-based non-randomised, controlled lifestyle intervention was conducted, focusing on a predominantly plant-based diet (strongest emphasis), physical activity, stress management and social health. Assessments of ccIMT were made at baseline, 6 months and 1 year. Participants had an average age of 57 years and were recruited from the general population in rural northwest Germany (intervention: n 114; control: n 87). From baseline to 1 year, mean ccIMT significantly increased in both the intervention (0.026 [95 % CI 0.012, 0.039] mm) and control group (0.045 [95 % CI 0.033, 0.056] mm). The 1-year trajectory of mean ccIMT was lower in the intervention group (P = 0.022; adjusted for baseline). In a subgroup analysis with participants with high baseline mean ccIMT (≥0.800 mm), mean ccIMT non-significantly decreased in the intervention group (-0.016 [95 % CI -0.050, 0.017] mm; n 18) and significantly increased in the control group (0.065 [95 % CI 0.033, 0.096] mm; n 12). In the subgroup, the 1-year trajectory of mean ccIMT was significantly lower in the intervention group (between-group difference: -0.051 [95 % CI -0.075, -0.027] mm; P < 0.001; adjusted for baseline). The results indicate that healthy lifestyle changes may beneficially affect ccIMT within 1 year, particularly if baseline ccIMT is high.

AB - Common carotid intima-media thickness (ccIMT) progression is a risk marker for cardiovascular disease (CVD), whereas healthy lifestyle habits are associated with lower ccIMT. The objective of the present study was to test whether a healthy lifestyle intervention can beneficially affect ccIMT progression. A community-based non-randomised, controlled lifestyle intervention was conducted, focusing on a predominantly plant-based diet (strongest emphasis), physical activity, stress management and social health. Assessments of ccIMT were made at baseline, 6 months and 1 year. Participants had an average age of 57 years and were recruited from the general population in rural northwest Germany (intervention: n 114; control: n 87). From baseline to 1 year, mean ccIMT significantly increased in both the intervention (0.026 [95 % CI 0.012, 0.039] mm) and control group (0.045 [95 % CI 0.033, 0.056] mm). The 1-year trajectory of mean ccIMT was lower in the intervention group (P = 0.022; adjusted for baseline). In a subgroup analysis with participants with high baseline mean ccIMT (≥0.800 mm), mean ccIMT non-significantly decreased in the intervention group (-0.016 [95 % CI -0.050, 0.017] mm; n 18) and significantly increased in the control group (0.065 [95 % CI 0.033, 0.096] mm; n 12). In the subgroup, the 1-year trajectory of mean ccIMT was significantly lower in the intervention group (between-group difference: -0.051 [95 % CI -0.075, -0.027] mm; P < 0.001; adjusted for baseline). The results indicate that healthy lifestyle changes may beneficially affect ccIMT within 1 year, particularly if baseline ccIMT is high.

KW - Cardiovascular disease

KW - Cardiovascular health

KW - Cardiovascular prevention

KW - Carotid intima-media thickness

KW - Lifestyle medicine

KW - Plant-based diet

KW - Preventive medicine

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85132782777&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1017/jns.2022.46

DO - 10.1017/jns.2022.46

M3 - Article

C2 - 35754985

AN - SCOPUS:85132782777

VL - 11

JO - Journal of Nutritional Science

JF - Journal of Nutritional Science

SN - 2048-6790

M1 - e47

ER -