Dietary Practices and Nutrient Intake Associated with Coronary Artery Disease: A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study

Background: Coronary artery disease (CAD) is influenced by multiple modifiable lifestyle and nutritional factors. Characterizing dietary practices and nutrient intake may provide clinically relevant information for nutritional assessment and cardiovascular risk management. Aim: To assess selected dietary practices, food-consumption behaviours, macro and micronutrient intake among adults with CAD and controls. Methods: This cross-sectional analytical study included 400 adults comprising 200 individuals with angiographically confirmed CAD and 200 controls. Dietary information was obtained using a structured questionnaire and 24-hour dietary recall. Variables included water, tea, coffee and milk consumption, meal frequency and timing, fasting practices, salt selection, cooking-oil use and rotation, dietary supplementation, macro and micronutrient intake. Categorical variables were analysed using the chi-square test and continuous variables using the independent t-test; p<0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: Significant differences between CAD and control groups were observed for coffee consumption (p=0.012), milk consumption (p=0.008), salt selection (p=0.005), fasting practices (p=0.002), oil-rotation duration (p=0.049), and the use of iron (p=0.006), vitamin B12 (p=0.004), vitamin D (p=0.008), and multivitamin supplements (p<0.001). Dietary assessment further demonstrated sex-related differences in selected nutrient intakes, with fibre intake differing significantly between CAD males and females (p<0.001), together with significant differences in iron, vitamin C and zinc intake among CAD participants. Conclusion: Adults with CAD exhibited differences in several dietary practices, cooking-oil practices, supplement use and selected nutrient intakes compared with controls. These findings support the importance of comprehensive dietary assessment incorporating food practices and nutrient adequacy in cardiovascular nutritional care. Prospective and intervention-based studies are warranted to determine whether modification of these dietary characteristics influences cardiovascular outcome