Common Brazilian dietary pattern is associated with lower cardiovascular risk in adolescents

Abstract

Studies on dietary patterns in adolescents can contribute to monitoring and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. Our hypothesis is that, in Brazilian adolescents, the coffee with bread and Common Brazilian dietary patterns are associated with a better cardiovascular profile, since they have previously been associated with a lower chance of being overweight. This study aims to verify the association between dietary patterns and cardiovascular risk (CVR) in adolescents using isolated and combined lipid variables in the form of indices. This is a cross-sectional study conducted with 825 adolescents from public schools. The dependent variables included alterations in total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c), triglycerides, and non-HDL-c, as well as the Castelli I and II indices and the triglycerides/HDL-c ratio. Three dietary patterns were identified through principal component analysis: Coffee with bread, Common Brazilian, and Mixed. Regression models were used to assess the association of these patterns with isolated lipid alterations and indices. Greater adherence to the Common Brazilian pattern reduced the odds of having elevated total cholesterol by 49% (OR: 0.51; 95% confidence intervals [95% CI]: 0.28, 0.94), elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol by 70% (OR: 0.30; 95% CI: 0.12, 0.72), elevated non-HDL-c by 42% (OR: 0.58; 95% CI: 0.34, 0.98), even after adjustment for potential confounders. Greater adherence to the Common Brazilian pattern demonstrated a potential protective effect against CVR in adolescents. No associations were found between the Coffee with bread and Mixed patterns and CVR.