Increased dietary fruit intake was associated with lower burden of carotid atherosclerosis in Chinese patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus

• Published in: Diabetic medicine 2013-01, Vol.30 (1), p.100-108
• Main Authors: Chan, H.-T., Yiu, K.-H., Wong, C.-Y., Li, S.-W., Tam, S., Tse, H.-F.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Carotid Artery Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Carotid Artery Diseases - ethnology; Carotid Artery Diseases - prevention & control; Carotid Intima-Media Thickness; China - ethnology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - diagnostic imaging; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - ethnology; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - prevention & control; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Diabetic Angiopathies - diagnostic imaging; Diabetic Angiopathies - ethnology; Diabetic Angiopathies - prevention & control; Diet; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Female; Fruit; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hong Kong; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Plaque, Atherosclerotic - diagnostic imaging; Surveys and Questionnaires; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Vertebrates: endocrinology
• ISSN: 0742-3071; 1464-5491
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1464-5491.2012.03764.x

Background  Previous studies demonstrated that high fruit consumption was associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events in patients with Type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, the relationship between fruit intake and carotid atherosclerosis in these patients is unknown. We studied the relationship between dietary fruit intake and carotid intima‐media thickness in patients with Type 2 diabetes. Methods  A total of 255 Chinese patients with Type 2 diabetes were recruited. Dietary fruit intake was assessed by a validated food‐frequency questionnaire, and carotid intima‐media thickness was measured by high‐resolution ultrasonography. Results  Among patients with three different tertiles of fruit intake (14.5 ± 8.6 vs. 41.5 ± 7.1 vs. 92.6 ± 39.7 g/day), there was no difference in their clinical characteristics (all P > 0.05). Patients with the highest tertile of fruit intake had a significantly higher BMI and diastolic blood pressure than those with the lowest tertile intake. Furthermore, serum high‐sensitivity C‐reactive protein, 8‐isoprostane and superoxide dismutase were similar among the three tertiles of patients (all P > 0.05). However, patients with the highest tertile of fruit intake had lower carotid intima‐media thickness (0.97 ± 0.02 vs. 1.08 ± 0.03 mm, P = 0.046) and prevalence of carotid plaque (11.76 vs. 1.18%, P = 0.022) than those with the lowest tertile of fruit intake. Multivariate regression analysis revealed the highest tertile of fruit intake (β = −0.086, P = 0.049) was independently associated with carotid intima‐media thickness. Conclusions  Our results demonstrated that, in Chinese patients with Type 2 diabetes, higher dietary fruit intake was associated with a lower burden of carotid atherosclerosis as reflected by lower carotid intima‐media thickness and prevalence of carotid plaque.