title: Dietary fats and cardiovascular disease: putting together the pieces of a complicated puzzle.
abstract: Dietary fatty acids play significant roles in the cause and prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Trans fatty acids from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils have well-established adverse effects and should be eliminated from the human diet. CVD risk can be modestly reduced by decreasing saturated fatty acids (SFA) and replacing it by a combination of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). Although the ideal type of unsaturated fat for this replacement is unclear, the benefits of PUFA appear strongest. Both n-6 and n-3 PUFA are essential and reduce CVD risk. However, additional research is needed to better define the optimal amounts of both and to discern the patients and/or general population that would benefit from supplemental n-3 fatty acid intake. Furthermore, consumption of animal products, per se, is not necessarily associated with increased CVD risk, whereas nut and olive oil intake is associated with reduced CVD risk. In conclusion, the total matrix of a food is more important than just its fatty acid content in predicting the effect of a food on CVD risk, and a healthy diet should be the cornerstone of CVD prevention.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Human Nutrition, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, Athens 11855, Greece.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Michas
authors.affiliation: Unit of Human Nutrition, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, Athens 11855, Greece; Department of Epidemiology, Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Renata
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Micha
authors.affiliation: Unit of Human Nutrition, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition, Agricultural University of Athens, Iera Odos 75, Athens 11855, Greece. Electronic address: azampelas@aua.gr.
authors.forename: Antonis
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zampelas
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004032:Diet / Q000009:adverse effects*; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008019:Life Style; D065840:Protective Factors; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D040242:Risk Reduction Behavior; D044242:Trans Fatty Acids / Q000009:adverse effects*
chemical_list: D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D044242:Trans Fatty Acids
keywords: Cardiovascular disease; Diet; Monounsaturated fatty acids; Polyunsaturated fatty acids; Saturated fatty acids; Trans fatty acids