Intake of fibre and plant foods and the risk of abdominal aortic aneurysm in a large prospective cohort study in Sweden

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate fibre, and plant foods, and its association with AAA risk. METHODS: In this prospective cohort study, Malmö Diet and Cancer Study, baseline data collection was carried out 1991–1996. The study participants’ (n = 26,133) dietary habits were extensively recorded at baseline. The specific diagnosis of AAA in the in-hospital registry was found valid in 95%. The association between plant foods, such as cereals and types of vegetables, and AAA was assessed by using Cox regression analysis expressed as hazard ratios (HR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). RESULTS: A high intake of fibre was independently associated with AAA risk (HR per quintile 0.87, 95% CI 0.79–0.97). High intake of vegetables (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.84–0.98), specifically leaf vegetables (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.81–0.94), and fruits and berries (HR 0.89, 95% CI 0.82–0.96), citrus (HR 0.91, 95% CI 0.85–0.98) and non-citrus fruits (HR 0.87, 95% CI 0.81–0.95) were independently associated with a decreased AAA risk. CONCLUSIONS: A high intake of fruits and berries and vegetables, in particular leaf vegetables, are associated with a decreased risk of developing AAA. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1007/s00394-019-02054-w) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.