Increase in Dietary Fiber Intake Reduces the Risk of Peripheral Artery Disease in Individuals with Hypertension

by | May 1, 2025 | 2024, Blood Pressure, Cardiovascular Health, Circulatory Health, Fiber, Recent Articles

Written by Chrystal Moulton, Science Writer. Logistical regression analysis showed that consuming more than 21g of dietary fiber could decrease the risk of developing PAD in patients with hypertension (OR = 0.67, P = 0.043).

fiber - oatmeal - whole grainsPeripheral artery disease (PAD) occurs due to plaque buildup in the arteries located in the lower extremity and can cause leg pain, tissue loss, increased risk of major vascular diseases, and lower quality of life1,2. In patients with hypertension, peripheral artery disease (PAD) leads to poor outcomes3,4 and increased risk of mortality5. Studies have shown that individuals who consume high amounts of dietary fiber could reduce the risk of developing peripheral artery disease [PAD]6,7. In this analysis, researchers utilized data from the NHANES study to investigate the association between the risk of peripheral artery disease (PAD) in hypertensive patients and dietary fiber intake8.

The National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES) is a population-based study of non-institutionalized US civilians. Researchers in this analysis were interested in the ankle brachial pressure index measurement taken during the 1999-2000, 2001- 2002, and 2003- 2004 cycles. Researchers excluded data from individuals who were missing dietary recall data, data to diagnose Peripheral artery disease [ankle brachial pressure index measurement], height or weight data, those who had extreme energy intakes, and non-hypertensive individuals. Confounders including socio-demographic data, medical history, education, lifestyle habits, smoking, and drinking were also considered during this assessment. Dietary fiber intake Information collected on day one and peripheral artery disease (PAD) diagnosis based on the ankle brachial pressure index measurement were the main focus of this evaluation. Logistical regression analysis was used to assess the relationship between dietary fiber intake and the resulting peripheral artery disease (PAD) diagnosis.

Data from 4628 eligible participants were included in this study. Participants were divided into two groups: non-PAD and PAD group. The average age of participants in the PAD group was 68.22 years old and the average age in the non-PAD group was 58.02 years old. The average fiber intake in the PAD group was 0.66g versus 0.32g in the non-PAD group. Logistical regression analysis showed that after adjusting for confounding factors consuming more than 21g of dietary fiber could decrease the risk of developing PAD in patients with hypertension (OR = 0.67, P = 0.043). Additional subgroup analysis also showed similar results among individuals under 60 years old (OR = 0.23, P = 0.008), without diabetes (OR = 0.50, P = 0.003), without dyslipidemia (OR = 0.33, P = 0.041), and individuals who never smoke (OR = 0.46, P = 0.017). Researchers also conducted sensitivity analysis and obtained similar results.

The results of this analysis suggests that dietary intake of >21g of fiber could significantly decrease the risk of developing peripheral artery disease among patients with hypertension. Additional studies will be needed to verify these results.

Source:  Liu, Yingnan, Ruihong Wei, Zhouyong Tan, Gaoyang Chen, Tao Xu, Zhaokang Liu, Hongtao Xiong, Chao Chen, and Yongqing Zhuang. “Association between dietary fiber intake and peripheral artery disease in hypertensive patients.” Journal of Health, Population and Nutrition 43, no. 1 (2024): 118.

© The Author(s) 2024. Open Access

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Posted May 1, 2025.

Chrystal Moulton BA, PMP, is a 2008 graduate of the University of Illinois at Chicago. She graduated with a bachelor’s in psychology with a focus on premedical studies and is a licensed project manager. She currently resides in Indianapolis, IN.

References:

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