Plant‐based diets could ameliorate the risk factors of cardiovascular diseases in adults with chronic diseases

Adherence to plant‐based diets is recommended to prevent and control chronic diseases. However, not all plant‐based foods are healthy for this purpose. This study investigated the relationship between plant‐based diets and risk factors for cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) in adults with chronic diseases. This cross‐sectional study was performed on 3678 males and females (age range: 40–70 years) with chronic diseases who participated in the Kharameh cohort study. A validated semiquantitative food‐frequency questionnaire was used to calculate the plant‐based diet index (PDI), healthy plant‐based diet index (hPDI), and unhealthy plant‐based diet index (uPDI). Lipid profile, fasting blood sugar (FBS), blood pressure, and anthropometric indices were measured. Multivariable‐adjusted logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the association between plant‐based diets and CVDs risk factors. Higher adherence to the PDI was inversely associated with the level of FBS (odds ratio [OR] = 0.42; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.33–0.53; p < .001). A significant decrease was observed for total cholesterol in those with higher adherence to hPDI (OR = 0.80; 95% CI: 0.65–0.98; p = .035). Additionally, the score of uPDI was positively related to FBS (OR = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.00–1.53; p = .01), total cholesterol (OR = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.01–1.49; p = .061), and low‐density lipoprotein (OR = 1.39; 95% CI: 1.13–1.71; p = .009). It was concluded that adherence to PDI and hPDI was related to a lower level of FBS and total cholesterol, respectively. Moreover, the findings suggested that regular intake of the uPDI was correlated with some risk factors for CVDs in adults with chronic diseases.