title: The EVIDENT diet quality index is associated with cardiovascular risk and arterial stiffness in adults.
abstract: We aimed to simplify information from food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) in a single parameter that allows for rapid identification of quality of patient diet and its relationship to cardiovascular risk and pulse wave velocity (PWV).
  
  
  
  The sample from the EVIDENT study, consisting of 1553 subjects (aged 20-80 years) with no cardiovascular disease selected by random sampling among those attending primary care clinics, was used. The EVIDENT diet index (range 0-100) was calculated based on the results of a FFQ. Evaluation of dietary habits also included adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD). Cardiovascular risk was estimated, and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity was measured.
  
  
  
  Mean subject age was 54.9 ± 13.8 years, and 60.3% of subjects were female. The mean value of the EVIDENT diet index was 52.1 ± 3.2 points. Subjects in the third tertile (the highest score) had the greatest adherence to MD and the highest energy intake, with greater amounts of carbohydrates, protein, and fiber. The best cut-off point of the EVIDENT diet index for predicting good adherence to the MD is 52.3 (0.71 sensitivity, 0.61 specificity). In a multiple regression analysis, after a complete adjustment, it was estimated that for each one-point increase in the EVIDENT diet index, cardiovascular risk (CVR), blood-pressure, waist circumference, and PWV decreased by 0.14, 0.43, 0.24, and 0.09 respectively (p < 0.05, all).
  
  
  
  The diet quality index developed is associated to CVR and its components, and also with arterial stiffness, as measured with PWV. This index is also a good predictor of adherence to MD.
authors.affiliation: Primary Care Research Unit, The Alamedilla Health Center, Castilla and León Health Service (SACYL), Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), Spanish Network for Preventive Activities and Health Promotion (redIAPP), Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Martin
authors.affiliation: Primary Care Research Unit, The Alamedilla Health Center, Castilla and León Health Service (SACYL), Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), Spanish Network for Preventive Activities and Health Promotion (redIAPP), Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alonso-Domínguez
authors.affiliation: Department of statistics, University of Salamanca, Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), Spanish Network for Preventive Activities and Health Promotion (redIAPP), Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: María C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Patino-Alonso
authors.affiliation: Primary Care Research Unit, The Alamedilla Health Center, Castilla and León Health Service (SACYL), Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), Department of medicine, University of Salamanca, Spanish Network for Preventive Activities and Health Promotion (redIAPP), Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Manuel A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Gómez-Marcos
authors.affiliation: Primary Care Research Unit, The Alamedilla Health Center, Castilla and León Health Service (SACYL), Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), Spanish Network for Preventive Activities and Health Promotion (redIAPP), Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: José A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Maderuelo-Fernández
authors.affiliation: Passeig de Sant Joan Health Center, Catalan Health Service, Spanish Network for Preventive Activities and Health Promotion (redIAPP), Barcelona, Spain.
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Martin-Cantera
authors.affiliation: Primary Care Research Unit, The Alamedilla Health Center, Castilla and León Health Service (SACYL), Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), Department of biomedical and diagnostic sciences, University of Salamanca, Spanish Network for Preventive Activities and Health Promotion (redIAPP), Salamanca, Spain.
authors.forename: Luis
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: García-Ortiz
authors.affiliation: Primary Care Research Unit, The Alamedilla Health Center, Castilla and León Health Service (SACYL), Biomedical Research Institute of Salamanca (IBSAL), Spanish Network for Preventive Activities and Health Promotion (redIAPP), Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy, University of Salamanca, Avda. Comuneros N° 27, 37003, Salamanca, Spain. donrecio@gmail.com.
authors.forename: José I
authors.initials: JI
authors.lastname: Recio-Rodríguez
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000178:diet therapy / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000502:physiology; D004032:Diet; D015930:Diet Records; D005260:Female; D005263:Femoral Artery / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D059289:Vascular Stiffness / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Diet, Mediterranean; Food habits; Risk factors; Vascular stiffness