Journal
CIRCULATION-CARDIOVASCULAR QUALITY AND OUTCOMES
Volume 3, Issue 4, Pages 366-373Publisher
LIPPINCOTT WILLIAMS & WILKINS
DOI: 10.1161/CIRCOUTCOMES.109.905810
Keywords
diet; heart rate; cardiovascular diseases; epidemiology; twin
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Funding
- NIH [R01 HL68630, R01 AG026255, K24 HL077506, K24 RR023356]
- American Heart Association [0245115N]
- Emory University Hospital General Clinical Research Center [M01-RR00039]
- Indiana University Department of Applied Health Science
- United States Department of Veterans Affairs
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Background-Reduced heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of cardiac autonomic dysfunction, is a risk factor for coronary artery disease. Diet can influence HRV, but this association may be confounded by genetic and environmental factors. Methods and Results-We administered the Willett Food Frequency Questionnaire to 276 middle-aged male twins. We derived a score measuring the extent to which an individual's diet conformed to the Mediterranean diet following a published algorithm. The higher the score, the greater the similarity to the Mediterranean diet. All twins underwent 24-hour ambulatory ECG recording. Time and frequency domain measures of HRV were calculated. Mixed-effects regression was used to partition the association into between- and within-twin pair differences. After adjusting for energy intake, other nutritional factors, shared genes, and common environment, a 1-unit higher score was significantly associated with 3.9% to 13% higher time and frequency domain HRV parameters. Further controlling for known cardiovascular risk factors and use of fish oil supplements and medications did not substantially change the estimates. Conclusions-The Mediterranean dietary pattern is associated with higher HRV. (Circ Cardiovasc Qual Outcomes. 2010;3:366-373.)
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