ISA: Carbohydrate-Rich Diet Associated With Lower High-Density Lipoprotein Levels

By Eurona Earl Tilley

link to article

KYOTO, JAPAN -- October 6, 2003 -- An elevated glycaemic load is an independent risk factor for future coronary events in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD), results of the Long-term Intervention with Pravastatin in Ischaemic Disease(LIPID) study, reported here on October 2nd at the 13th International Symposium on Atherosclerosis.

Kirsty Mehalski, MD, the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) Clinical Trials Centre, University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia, and colleagues investigated the effect of dietary carbohydrates expressed as glycaemic index (GI), and glycaemic load (GL) on lipids and lipoproteins in patients with CHD.

The researchers defined glycaemic index as the measure of blood glucose after consumption of carbohydrate-containing foods, ranging in values from 1 to 100. Glycaemic load was defined as the carbohydrate content of a food multiplied by the glycaemic index and servings per week.

As a subset of the Long-Term Intervention with Pravastatin in Ischaemic Disease (LIPID) study, 1,077 patients were assessed for dietary intake over a 5-year period. Participants were allowed a maximum of 30% of calories from fat, with 10% being saturated fat. They maintained a dietary cholesterol intake of less than 300 mg/day.

During the run-in period, patients completed a food frequency questionnaire of more than 170 foods. All carbohydrate foods consumed were allocated a glycaemic index, and the glycaemic load was calculated.

Results showed an inverse relationship between high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol level and both the glycaemic index and glycaemic load. "This relationship was not affected by pravastatin therapy," Dr. Mehalski said.

She explained that glycaemic index and glycaemic load are significantly related to HDL cholesterol such that eating a diet with large amounts of high glycaemic index cholesterol is associated with a lower HDL concentration.

It was suggested that physicians should instruct patients with CHD to choose carbohydrate rich foods with low glycaemic values including pasta, wholegrain breads and cereals, legumes, fruits, and vegetables.

Dr. Mehalski said that reducing saturated fat, lowering cholesterol levels, and increasing fiber content can result in the reduction of coronary events in patients with CHD.

Did my mind decieve me, or are the conclusions in the last two paragraphs rather bizarre based on their own test...

Amazing, isn't it? The result is right there in front of them again and they just can't see it.

Here's a quote from the godfather of the diet-heart hypothesis, Dr Ancel Keys, "...there's no connection whatsoever between cholesterol in food and cholesterol in the blood. None. And we've known that all along." So why then did the study so carefully limit cholesterol to 300 g? Why in their final flip-flop paragraphs, to they tell US to limit it? Blind adherence to orthodoxy, perhaps. The saturated fat thing has been done to death, too, the Framingham, the Tecumseh, all showing little/no connection between sat fat and cholesterol. BTW, would like to go back and see what the great Dr Keys was saying about dietary cholesterol back in the 60's. Sounds a bit like the Vicar of Bray, to me. Bill

No matter what the study shows, the conclusion will be the same: "Less fat..."

Reminds be of the bureau of statistic in the old soviet union..

I'm so glad to hear it wasn't me freaking out when I read the last paragraph...what has a higher glycemic load than the foods listed, Clark Bars?