The CARDIA study showed many age-related, desirable changes in food intake over 20 y of observation, despite a secular trend toward a lower diet quality. Nevertheless, demographic disparities in diet persist.

Associations between individual foods or nutrients and oxidative markers have been reported. Comprehensive measures of food intake may be uniquely informative, given the complexity of oxidative systems and the possibility for antioxidant synergies. We quantified associations over a 20 y history between 3 food-based dietary patterns, summary measures of whole diet, and a plasma biomarker of lipid peroxidation, F2-isoprostanes in a cohort of Americans, aged 18–30 at year 0 (1985–86). We assessed diet at years 0, 7, and 20 through a detailed history of past-month food consumption and supplement use, and measured plasma F2-isoprostanes at years 15 and 20. We created 3 different dietary patterns: 1) a priori (“a priori diet quality score”) based on hypothesized healthy foods, 2) an empirical pattern reflecting high fruit and vegetable intake (“fruit-veg”), and 3) an empirical pattern reflecting high meat intake (“meat”). We used linear regression to estimate associations between each dietary pattern and plasma F2-isoprostanes cross-sectionally (at year 20, n=2,736) and prospectively (year 0/7 average diet and year 15/20 average F2-isoprostanes, n=2,718), adjusting for age, sex, race, total energy intake, education, smoking, body mass index (BMI), waist circumference, physical activity, and supplement use. In multivariable-adjusted cross-sectional analysis, the a priori diet quality score and the fruit-veg diet pattern were negatively, and the meat pattern positively, associated with F2-isoprostanes (all p-values<0.001). These associations remained statistically significant in prospective analysis. Our findings suggest that a long-term adherence to a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and low in red meat may decrease lipid peroxidation.

Background: Dietary patterns are associated cross-sectionally with cellular adhesion molecules (CAMs). Objective: We studied prospective associations of three dietary patterns with CAMs. Design: In the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) study, diet was assessed at years 0 (1985-86) and 7 (1992-93) examinations. Four circulating CAMs (E-selectin, P-selectin, soluble intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (sICAM-1), and vascular cellular adhesion molecule (VCAM)) were assayed at years 7 and 15 (2000-01). We created one index score “A Priori Diet Quality Score” and derived dietary patterns using principal components analysis (PCA). Multivariable linear regression models predicted year 15 CAMs from averaged (year 0/7) dietary patterns. Results: The A Priori Diet Quality Score rated 46 food groups beneficial, neutral or adverse based on hypothesized health effects. We derived two PCA dietary patterns: “fruit and vegetables (FV)” (high intakes of fruit, vegetables, and whole grains) and “meat” (high intakes of red meat, refined grain, and butter). All dietary patterns were related to E-selectin and sICAM-1. P-selectin was not related to the FV dietary pattern. VCAM was only related to the A Priori Diet Quality Score. Strongest associations were for the meat dietary pattern with E-selectin (effect size 28% of an SD (+3.9/13.7 ng/mL) and P-selectin (effect size 37% of an SD (+4.1/11.2 ng/mL) and the A Priori Diet Quality Score with sICAM-1 (effect size 34% of an SD (−15.1/44.7 ng/mL) and VCAM (effect size of 26% of an SD (−45.1/170.3 ng/mL). Conclusion: This prospective analysis suggests that dietary patterns are associated with CAMs.

Objective To determine if serum urate concentration is associated with development of hypertension in young adults. Methods Retrospective cohort analysis from 4752 participants with available serum urate and without hypertension at baseline from the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study; a mixed race (African-American and White) cohort established in 1985 with 20 years of follow-up data for this analysis. Associations between baseline serum urate concentration and incident hypertension (defined as a blood pressure greater or equal to 140/90 or being on antihypertensive drugs) were investigated in sex-stratified bivariate and multivariable Cox-proportional analyses. Results Mean age (standard deviation) at baseline was 24.8 (3.6) years for men and 24.9 (3.7) years for women. Compared with the referent category, we found a greater hazard of developing hypertension starting at 345 μmol/L (5.8 mg/ dL) of serum urate for men and 214 μmol/L (3.6 mg/dL) for women. There was a 25% increase in the hazard of developing hypertension in men (HR1.25 [95% CI 1.15-1.36]) per each mg/dL increase in serum urate but no significant increase in women (HR 1.06 [95%CI 0.97-1.16]). Conclusions We found a significant independent association between higher serum urate concentrations and the subsequent hazard of incident hypertension, even at concentrations below the conventional hyperuricemia threshold of 404 μmol/L (6.8 mg/dL).