Mediterranean diet improves better the lipid profile in smoking males thanthe American Cholesterol Program diet (NCEP-I)

BACKGROUND: A study Of the efect of smokers' diets on their atherogenic lip idic profile. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: 41 healthy males (32 non-smokers and 9 smokers) consu med consecutively a diet low in fat and rich in carbohydrates (28% total fa t content < 10% saturated fats, and 57% carbohydrates), and a diet rich in monounsaturated fatty acids (38% total fat content with 22% monounsaturated fats). At the end of each dietary period, adhesion was confirmed by quanti fication of LDL cholesterol esters, plasma lipids and insulin levels. RESULTS: There were no significant differences between the age or the body mass of the groups of smokers or non-smokers, After both diets tobacco was found to have a significant effect on triglyceride levels (p < 0.0007), HDL c (p < 0.007), apo A-I (p < 0.02) and the LDLc/HDLc ratio (p < 0.005), reve aling an interaction between diet and both HDLc levels (p < 0.004) and LDLc /HDLc ratios (p < 0.003). With the low fat and high monounsaturated fatty a cid content diets smokers presented higher triglyceride levels (both with p < 0.0002) and LDLc/HDLc ratios (p < 0.0002 and p < 0.05, respectively) and lower levels of apo A-I (p < 0.002 and p < 0.004, respectively). However, in smokers the HDLc levels were only reduced after the low fat diet (p < 0. 0003) and after the diet with a high monounsaturated fat content there was a rise in HDLc levels (p < 0.02) and a drop in the LDLc/HDLc ratio (p < 0.0 05) compared to the group of non-smokers. There were no significant differe nces in the insulin levels between groups. CONCLUSION: The atherogenic lipidic profile of smokers is due to an effect of tobacco on the lipidic metabolism. This atherogenic profile is accentuat ed with a low fat diet rich in carbohydrates and can he rectified to some d egree with a diet with a high monounsaturated fatty acid content.