Relationship between diet quality and carotid intima-media thickness in people with and without carotid atherosclerosis

BACKGROUND: Dietary assessment and management appear to be essential to limit the impact of cardiovascular risk. AIM: This study aims to assess the association between diet quality as measured by Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI) and coronary risk as determined by carotid artery intima-media thickness (CIMT) among Saudi adults. METHODS: A case–control study was conducted in 210 participants who were matched for age and sex and recruited sequentially from King Abdulaziz University Hospital, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Demographic and anthropometric variables were measured in all study participants. Dietary intake was measured by food frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: Obesity was highly prevalent among the study population. The mean AHEI score for the total sample was found to be 58.3 ± 1.67. There were no differences according to the presence and absence of atherosclerotic disease; 45% had a poor diet, and 39% had a diet that needs improvement. Participants with higher CIMT values tended to be of lower AHEI category. Negative correlations were observed between CIMT and AHEI scores and components after adjustment for age and energy intake. CONCLUSIONS: Adherence to a healthier diet, as reflected by a higher AHEI score, is associated with lower coronary risk, as estimated by CIMT value, independently from obesity and personal behavior factors.