Dietary Patterns in Patients with Coronary Artery Disease at Very High Cardiovascular Risk

Introduction. Unhealthy dietary habits are a behavioral risk factor for most chronic non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases. Aim. To assess the actual dietary patterns in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) at very high cardiovascular risk. Patients and Methods. As part of an observational cross-­sectional study, 57 CAD patients were surveyed using a questionnaire. The questionnaire, developed based on the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), comprised 80 food items/dishes. For subsequent analysis, these were consolidated into broader food groups: 1 — dairy products; 2 — fruits and vegetables; 3 — meat and meat products; 4 — fish and seafood; 5 — legumes; 6 — сereals, pasta, potatoes, and bread; 7 — сonfectionery and other sources of added sugars. The habit of adding extra salt to prepared meals was also recorded. Results were presented as the average number of servings per product from each food group per week. Results. The most frequently consumed food groups (in servings/week) were: confectionery and added sugars — 25.3 [10.7; 42.3], dairy products — 25.3 [17.3; 38.0], cereals, pasta, potatoes, and bread — 22.5 [17.0; 29.0]. Other food groups were less represented in the diet: meat and meat products — 9.47 [5.5; 15.0], fruits and vegetables — 2.1 [1.3; 3.6], fish and seafood — 1.47 [1.0; 3.0], legumes — 0.5 [0.5; 1.0]. Added salt to prepared meals was reported by 50% of respondents. Conclusion. The dietary patterns of CAD patients do not align with healthy eating principles and generally reflect a pro-atherogenic diet. Key findings of our study include excessive consumption of confectionery and added sugars, insufficient intake of fruits and vegetables in any form, low consumption of fish and legumes, high intake of processed meats and offal, high prevalence of adding extra salt to the meals.