title: A high-fat diet impairs cardiac high-energy phosphate metabolism and cognitive function in healthy human subjects.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High-fat, low-carbohydrate diets are widely used for weight reduction, but they may also have detrimental effects via increased circulating free fatty acid concentrations.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  We tested whether raising plasma free fatty acids by using a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet results in alterations in heart and brain in healthy subjects.
  
  
  METHODS
  Men (n = 16) aged 22 ± 1 y (mean ± SE) were randomly assigned to 5 d of a high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet containing 75 ± 1% of calorie intake through fat consumption or to an isocaloric standard diet providing 23 ± 1% of calorie intake as fat. In a crossover design, subjects undertook the alternate diet after a 2-wk washout period, with results compared after the diet periods. Cardiac (31)P magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy and MR imaging, echocardiography, and computerized cognitive tests were used to assess cardiac phosphocreatine (PCr)/ATP, cardiac function, and cognitive function, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the standard diet, subjects who consumed the high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet had 44% higher plasma free fatty acids (P < 0.05), 9% lower cardiac PCr/ATP (P < 0.01), and no change in cardiac function. Cognitive tests showed impaired attention (P < 0.01), speed (P < 0.001), and mood (P < 0.01) after the high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Raising plasma free fatty acids decreased myocardial PCr/ATP and reduced cognition, which suggests that a high-fat diet is detrimental to heart and brain in healthy subjects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, United Kingdom. cameron.holloway@dpag.ox.ac.uk
authors.forename: Cameron J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Holloway
authors.forename: Lowri E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Cochlin
authors.forename: Yaso
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Emmanuel
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Murray
authors.forename: Ion
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Codreanu
authors.forename: Lindsay M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Cezary
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Szmigielski
authors.forename: Damian J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Tyler
authors.forename: Nicholas S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Knight
authors.forename: Brian K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Saxby
authors.forename: Bridget
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Lambert
authors.forename: Campbell
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Thompson
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Neubauer
authors.forename: Kieran
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Clarke
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D000328:Adult; D000339:Affect / Q000187:drug effects; D001288:Attention / Q000187:drug effects; D003071:Cognition / Q000187:drug effects*; D018592:Cross-Over Studies; D050528:Diet, Carbohydrate-Restricted / Q000523:psychology; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000494:pharmacology; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004452:Echocardiography; D002149:Energy Intake; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000187:drug effects*; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000097:blood*; D006321:Heart / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008297:Male; D010725:Phosphocreatine / Q000378:metabolism*; D012016:Reference Values; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004041:Dietary Fats; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D010725:Phosphocreatine; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate