Relationship between Low Vegetable Consumption, Increased High-Sensitive C-Reactive Protein Level, and Cardiometabolic Risk in Korean Adults with Tae-Eumin: A Cross-Sectional Study

Abstract

An anti-inflammatory diet has many beneficial effects on cardiometabolic diseases. Constitution type of traditional Korean medicine can predict cardiometabolic risk factors. We examined the relationship between vegetable consumption and the high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) level on cardiometabolic risk factors in Korean adults by constitution types. Data from 1,983 eligible participants (mean age, 44.3 years) were included in the present cross-sectional study. The inflammatory status of the participants was categorized into low- (<3.0 mg/L) or high-risk (≥3.0 mg/L) groups based on their constitution types. Cardiometabolic risk factors (abdominal obesity, elevated triglycerides, reduced high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol, elevated blood pressure, elevated fasting plasma glucose, and ≥2 concurrent cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) risk factors) and dietary assessment of the participants were assessed. A total of 11.1% of Tae-eumin (TE) and 4.9% of non-TE groups had a higher hs-CRP level (TE: 6.6 ± 0.2, non-TE: 8.4 ± 0.3) than a low hs-CRP level TE and non-TE (TE: 0.9 ± 0.1, non-TE: 0.6 ± 0.1). Vegetable consumption of <91.5 g/day was highly associated with a high-risk hs-CRP level (adjusted odds ratio (ORs): second tertile (T2): 2.290, (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.285–4.082); first tertile (T1): 2.474 (95% CI: 1.368–4.475), P = 0.003 ) compared with that of the highest (T3) in TE. Low (T1 and T2) vegetable consumption was associated with a 54–63% increased prevalence of more than two concurrent CVDs risk factors compared with that of the highest in the TE group P = 0.012 . Higher vegetable consumption greatly decreased the prevalence of CVDs risk factors by 63–86% in the low-risk and high-risk hs-CRP TE groups. Our results highlight the cardioprotective effects of higher consumption of vegetables in Korean adults with TE. Evidence-based clinical risk factor management and multifaceted approaches at the community and population levels targeting prevention in high-burden groups are recommended to reduce the premature mortality attributed to CVD.

Association of Dietary Factors With Grip Strength, Body Fat, and Prevalence of Sarcopenic Obesity in Rural Korean Elderly With Cardiometabolic Multimorbidity

“…Participants' age, sex, BMI, health-related behaviors (smoking status, alcohol consumption, and physical activity level), working hours, KM type, and energy intake (kcal/day) were used as covariates in the statistical analysis. Previously, we confirmed high-risk associations with cardiometabolic outcomes (33) and inflammatory status (34) based on the two KM types in Korean adults. Age, BMI, and energy intake were used as continuous variables, and sex (male vs. female), smoking (no vs. yes), alcohol consumption (no vs. yes), physical activity (no vs. yes), working hours (≤8 h/day or ≤20 h/week vs. >8 h/day or >20 h/week), and KM type (Taeeum vs. Non-Taeeum) were used as categorical variables.…”

“…Consistently, elderly participants with CM patterns were more sedentary, more obese, had higher body fat mass, worsened cardiometabolic profiles, and high-risk sarcopenia or higher prevalence of SO than those without CM. Regarding the KM type, more participants in the CM group had Taeeum-type, with a predisposing metabolic risk (33,34) than those in the non-CM group. Our ongoing cohort study showed a higher prevalence of pre-metabolic diseases (MetS), lower nutritional status, higher high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) level, and lower vegetable consumption in Taeeumtype middle-aged Korean adults (33,34).…”

Association between Phytochemical Index and Inflammation in Korean Adults

“…They serve as anti-inflammatory agents and antioxidants in the human body and regulate signaling pathways related to immune responses, resulting in reduced inflammation levels [ 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 ]. However, the effects of phytochemicals on inflammation may differ depending on ethnicity or food source type [ 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 ]. For example, a cross-sectional analysis of 5013 US men and women aged 30–75 years from the 1989–1990 Nurses’ Health Study and the 1993–1995 Health Professionals Follow-Up Study showed that nut consumption was inversely associated with hs-CRP levels [ 13 ].…”

“…The majority of prior epidemiological studies that have investigated the association between phytochemicals and hs-CRP have been conducted in western countries and focused on a single food item or compound. Limited data is available in the Asian population, including Koreans [ 14 ], especially for comprehensively evaluated health effects of dietary phytochemicals in large epidemiologic study designs.…”

Nutritional and Nutrition-Related Biomarkers as Prognostic Factors of Sarcopenia, and Their Role in Disease Progression

“…Thus, it seems that obesity contributes to the formation of a pro-inflammatory environment [ 62 ]. In addition, several studies recommend that a diet rich in vegetables, fruits, whole grains and nuts has a beneficial effect on reducing CRP levels [ 64 , 65 ].…”