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Glycaemic index and glycaemic load in relation to blood lipids – 6 years of follow-up in adult Danish men and women

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Anne Lene Oxlund  and
Berit Lilienthal Heitmann
Anne Lene Oxlund
Affiliation:
Research Unit for Dietary Studies and Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, Institute of Preventive Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Øster Søgade 18, 1357 Copenhagen K, Denmark
Berit Lilienthal Heitmann*
Affiliation:
Research Unit for Dietary Studies and Danish Epidemiology Science Centre, Institute of Preventive Medicine, Copenhagen University Hospital, Øster Søgade 18, 1357 Copenhagen K, Denmark Research Centre for Prevention and Health, Glostrup University Hospital, Glostrup, Denmark
*
*Corresponding author: Email blh@ipm.hosp.dk
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Abstract

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Background

Cross-sectional studies have suggested an association between glycaemic index (GI) or glycaemic load (GL) and serum lipids. However, no prospective studies have been performed.

Objective

To examine whether GI or GL was associated with subsequent changes in serum lipids.

Design

Prospective study with 6 years of follow-up. Overall dietary GI and GL of each participant were assessed from diet history interviews.

Setting

Population-based study.

Subjects

Three hundred and thirty-five healthy men and women aged 35–65 years selected randomly from a larger sample of Danish adults.

Results

In men GI was directly related to changes in total cholesterol (ΔTC), regression coefficient (β) = 0.0044 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.0008–0.0081) and GL was positively related to changes in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (ΔLDL), β = 0.1554 (95% CI: 0.0127–0.2982). Furthermore, the relationship between GL and ΔTC was modified by age, being particularly strong for the younger men (P = 0.02). In women the relationship between GI and ΔLDL was modified by age and was stronger for younger rather than older women (P = 0.01). A tendency for a similar interaction was seen for GI and ΔTC (P = 0.09). Associations between GL and ΔLDL and GL and ΔTC were inverse for women with body mass index ≥ 30 kg m−2 (P = 0.03 and 0.04, respectively).

Conclusions

This is the first study to demonstrate that dietary GI and GL are related to 6-year changes in serum lipid levels. However, associations were weak and generally confined to subgroups.

Keywords

Diet history interviewCholesterolProspective population studyPreventionPublic health
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 9 , Issue 6 , September 2006 , pp. 737 - 745
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2006

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