Effects of a healthy diet enriched or not with pecan nuts or extra‐virgin olive oil on the lipid profile of patients with stable coronary artery disease: a randomised clinical trial

• DOI: 10.1111/jhn.12727
• Publication Date: 2019-12-19T18:19:15Z
• Authors: V. P. Campos; V. L. Portal; M. M. Markoski; A. S. Quadros; Â. C. Bersch‐Ferr...; J. Garavaglia; A. Marcadenti
• Keywords: Adult; Aged, 80 and over; Male; 0301 basic medicine; Cholesterol, HDL; Cholesterol, LDL; Coronary Artery Disease; Middle Aged; Lipids; Intention to Treat Analysis; 3. Good health; 03 medical and health sciences; Treatment Outcome; Dietary Supplements; Humans; Female; Diet, Healthy; Olive Oil; Triglycerides; Aged; Carya

AbstractBackgroundThe present study aimed to assess the effect of a healthy diet, enriched or not with pecan nuts or extra‐virgin olive oil, on the lipid profile of patients with stable coronary artery disease (CAD).MethodsThis was a randomised clinical trial conducted for 12 weeks with patients aged between 40 and 80 years with stable CAD for more than 60 days. Individuals were randomised into groups [control group (CG) with 67 patients, pecan nut group (PNG) with 68 patients and olive oil group (OOG) with 69 patients]. The CG was prescribed a healthy diet according to the nutritional guidelines; the PNG was prescribed the same healthy diet plus 30 g day−1 of pecan nuts; and the OOG was prescribed a healthy diet plus 30 mL day−1 of extra‐virgin olive oil.ResultsIn total, 204 subjects were submitted to an intention‐to‐treat analysis. After adjustment for baseline values and type of statin used, there was no difference regarding low‐density lipoprotein (LDL)‐cholesterol (primary outcome), high‐density lipoprotein (HDL)‐cholesterol, LDL‐cholesterol/HDL‐cholesterol ratio and HDL‐cholesterol/triglycerides ratio according to groups. However, the PNG exhibited a significant reduction in non‐HDL‐cholesterol levels [PNG: 114.9 (31) mg dL−1; CG: 127 (33.6) mg dL−1; OOG: 126.6 (37.4) mg dL−1; P = 0.033] and in the total cholesterol/HDL‐cholesterol ratio [PNG: 3.7 (0.7); CG: 4.0 (0.8); OOG: 4.0 (0.8); P = 0.044] compared to the CG and OOG.ConclusionsSupplementing a healthy diet with 30 g day−1 of pecan nuts for 12 weeks did not improve LDL‐cholesterol levels but may improve other lipid profile markers in patients with stable CAD.