The objective of this study was to examine whether a higher number of ideal cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics are beneficial for lowering the risk of proteinuria. This is a retrospective cohort study with an average follow-up of 5 years. Participants between 21 and 75 years old and without a history of cardiovascular disease and proteinuria were enrolled. CVH metrics, including smoking, diet, physical activity, blood pressure, body mass index (BMI), cholesterol, and fasting glucose, were assessed by questionnaires, physical examination, and blood analysis. Proteinuria was assessed by dipstick measurement. During the follow-up period, 169,366 participants were enrolled, and 1,481 subjects developed proteinuria. A higher number of ideal CVH metrics was related to a lower risk of proteinuria after adjustment. Among the components of CVH metrics, ideal blood pressure (HR = 0.33, 95% CI = 0.25–0.43), fasting glucose (HR = 0.17, 95% CI = 0.12–0.22), and BMI (HR = 0.20, 95% CI = 0.15–0.27) had beneficial effects on proteinuria. Despite no significant benefit of diet score, the corresponding lower sodium intake showed a lower risk of proteinuria (HR = 0.58, 95% CI = 0.43–0.79). Incident proteinuria was inversely related to the number of ideal CVH metrics. CVH metrics may be a predictor of proteinuria, and achieving a higher number of ideal scores should be recommended as a proteinuria prevention strategy.

BackgroundVegetarians have been shown to have better metabolic profiles than non-vegetarians, and vegetarianism has potential beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease. However, there is a lack of studies on vegetarians that examine both metabolic profiles and lifestyle habits, such as physical activity, smoking habits, and dietary patterns, which are equally important in the context of cardiovascular disease. We explored whether a vegetarian diet is associated with both metabolic traits and lifestyle habits by assessing cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study conducted in a Taiwanese population. Data collected between 2000 and 2016 were extracted from the MJ Health database. Participants aged 40 years and older without cardiovascular disease were included. CVH metrics included smoking habits, blood pressure, total cholesterol, serum glucose, body mass index, physical activity, and healthy diet score. Vegetarian participants were full-time vegetarians who did not consume meat or fish. All the data were assessed from self-report questionnaires, physical examinations, and blood analyses following standard protocol. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association between vegetarianism and CVH metrics.ResultsOf 46,287 eligible participants, 1,896 (4.1%) were vegetarian. Overall, vegetarians had better CVH metrics (OR = 2.09, 95% CI = 1.84–2.37) but lower healthy diet scores (OR = 0.41, 95% CI = 0.33–0.51) after adjustment. No difference in physical activity (OR = 0.86, 95% CI = 0.73–1.02) was identified between vegetarians and non-vegetarians. Additionally, vegetarians had higher whole grain intake (OR = 2.76, 95% CI = 2.28–3.35) and lower sugar-sweetened beverage consumption (OR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.18–1.58).ConclusionsOur results suggested that vegetarians had better overall ideal CVH metrics but lower ideal healthy diet scores than non-vegetarians, which was likely due to the lack of fish consumption in this population group. When assessing CVH metrics and healthy diet scores for vegetarians, metrics and scores chosen should be suitable for use with vegetarian populations.