UC Davis

Background and aims

Recent evidence links trimethylamine oxide (TMAO) to endothelial dysfunction, an early indicator of cardiovascular disease. We aimed to determine whether short-term consumption of a diet patterned after the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGA) would affect endothelial function, plasma TMAO concentrations, and cardiovascular disease risk, differently than a typical American Diet (TAD).

Methods and results

An 8-wk controlled feeding trial was conducted in overweight/obese women pre-screened for insulin resistance and/or dyslipidemia. Women were randomized to a DGA or TAD group (n = 22/group). At wk0 (pre-intervention) and wk8 (post-intervention) vascular age was calculated; endothelial function (reactive hyperemia index (RHI)) and augmentation index (AI@75) were measured using EndoPAT, and plasma TMAO was measured by LC-MS/MS. Vascular age was reduced in DGA at wk8 compared to wk0 but TAD wk8 was not different from wk0 (DGA wk0: 54.2 ± 4.0 vs. wk8: 50.5 ± 3.1 (p = 0.05), vs. TAD wk8: 47.7 ± 2.3). Plasma TMAO concentrations, RHI, and AI@75 were not different between groups or weeks.

Conclusion

Consumption of a diet based on the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans for 8 weeks did not improve endothelial function or reduce plasma TMAO. CLINICALTRIALS.GOV: NCT02298725.