title: Is dairy consumption associated with low cardiovascular disease risk in European adolescents? Results from the HELENA Study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To identify those food groups best discriminating individuals at high/low cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and to investigate the relationship between dairy consumption and CVD risk factors (individual and scores) in adolescents (12.5-17.5 years) from eight European cities participating in the cross-sectional (2006-2007) HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence) project.
  
  
  METHODS
  Diet, waist circumference, skin-folds thickness, systolic blood pressure, insulin resistance, triglycerides, total cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein ratio and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) were assessed in 511 (49.9% boys) adolescents. Individual z-scores of CVD risk factors were summed to compute sex-specific clustered CVD risk scores.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Dairy emerged as the food group best discriminating adolescents at low/high CVD risk. In both genders, waist circumference and sum of skin-folds were inversely associated with consumption of milk and yogurt, and milk- and yogurt-based beverages, whereas a positive association was observed with CRF. Moreover, CVD risk score (β = -0.230, P = 0.001) was also inversely associated with overall dairy consumption only in girls.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dairy consumption is associated with lower adiposity and higher CRF in these adolescents. An inverse association between CVD risk score and dairy consumption is also depicted in girls. The study adds further evidence to the scarce literature on the influence of milk and dairy products on adolescents' cardiovascular health.
authors.affiliation: 'Growth, Exercise, Nutrition and Development' (GENUD) Research Group, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bel-Serrat
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mouratidou
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Jiménez-Pavón
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Huybrechts
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cuenca-García
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mistura
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gottrand
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: González-Gross
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dallongeville
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kafatos
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Manios
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stehle
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kersting
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: De Henauw
authors.forename: Mj
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Castillo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hallstrom
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Molnár
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Widhalm
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marcos
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Moreno
mesh_terms: D050154:Adiposity; D000293:Adolescent; D015992:Body Mass Index; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003611:Dairy Products; D005060:Europe / Q000453:epidemiology; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007333:Insulin Resistance; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D055105:Waist Circumference
chemical_list: D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008055:Lipids; D014280:Triglycerides
keywords: Adolescents; body fat; cardiovascular disease risk; dairy