Vegetarianism and cardiometabolic disease risk factors: Differences between South Asian and US adults.

ABSTRACT:

Objectives

Cardiometabolic diseases are increasing disproportionately in South Asia compared with other regions of the world despite high levels of vegetarianism. This unexpected discordance may be explained by differences in the healthfulness of vegetarian and non-vegetarian diets in South Asia compared with the United States. The aim of this study was to compare the food group intake of vegetarians with non-vegetarians in South Asia and the United States and to evaluate associations between vegetarianism and cardiometabolic disease risk factors (overweight/obesity, central obesity, diabetes, hypertension, high triacylglycerols, high low-density lipoprotein, low high-density lipoprotein, and high Framingham Heart Score).

Methods

Using cross-sectional data from adults (age 2

SUBMITTER: Jaacks LM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4967403 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature