Inverse relationship between lipid-lowering drugs and saturated fat intake in US adults.
BACKGROUND
While lipid-lowering drugs reduce cardiovascular risk, there is concern that their use may discourage dietary restriction of saturated fat (SF). The purpose of this analysis was to evaluate the association between taking lipid-lowering drugs and SF intake.


METHODS
We analyzed cross-sectional data on cholesterol and diet from 6,473 adult respondents in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1999-2002. Respondents were classified into three groups: (1) no history of high cholesterol (Desirable Cholesterol or DC), (2) history of high cholesterol without current drug treatment (Non-Drug Treated or NDT), and (3) history of high cholesterol with active lipid-lowering medication use (Drug-Treated or DT). Regression models were used to compare the mean percentage of daily kilocalories from SF among the three groups while controlling for confounders.


RESULTS
Unadjusted analyses revealed significantly lower mean daily intake of SF (% of Kcal/day) among DT respondents compared to both DC (-.40 SF; 95% Confidence Interval [CI], -0.71 to -0.08) and NDT respondents [-.36 SF; CI, -0.79 to 0.06]. The complete multivariate model controlling for all covariates (age, sex, education, race/ethnicity, current smoking, alcohol use, BMI, physical activity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hypertension) attenuated the relationship compared to D (-.35 SF, CI -0.7 to -0.01) and NDT (-.25 SF, CI -0.62 to 0.12) individuals.


CONCLUSIONS
Taking lipid-lowering medications is associated with a lower intake of SF. However, a prospective study of diet and medication use is needed to definitively evaluate the relationship between lipid-lowering medications and SF intake.
Mann
Devin M
DM
Division of General Internal Medicine, Mount Sinai School of Medicine, 1470 Madison Ave, Box 1087, New York, NY 10029, USA. devin.mann@mountsinai.org
Natarajan
Sundar
S
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
D004041:Dietary Fats; D005227:Fatty Acids; D019161:Hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA Reductase Inhibitors; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents