Vegetarians and vegans appear to have better left ventricular relaxation and fewer diastolic abnormalities than others, finds a new study.
Published by the British Journal of Nutrition, the study was conducted by researchers at the Loma Linda University Medical Center and School of Public Health, and the University of California Riverside School of Medicine. The study is titled Left Ventricular Diastolic Abnormalities in Vegetarians as Compared with Non-vegetarians.
“Vegetarians have less hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and obesity, hence possibly lower risk of congestive heart failure”, states the study. “We studied associations between vegetarian diets and echocardiographic markers of stage B heart failure.”
133 individuals with a mean age of 72.7±8.7 years were included in the study. 72% of participants were vegetarian or vegan.
“Adjusting for age, gender, race, and physical activity, vegetarians had greater echocardiographic mitral annular e’ velocity, (a measure of left ventricular relaxation), 7.44 vs 6.48 (non-vegetarian) cm/sec (P=0.011); and a yet greater contrast when vegans (7.66 cm/sec, P=0.011) were the group of interest”, the study says. “The ratio mid- to late- diastolic mitral flow velocity (E/A), was also higher in vegans compared to non-vegetarians.”
It continues: “Mediation analyses suggested these associations may be partly related to higher blood pressures and body mass indices in the non-vegetarians. We conclude that vegetarians, especially vegans, appear to have better left ventricular relaxation and fewer diastolic abnormalities than others.”
Researchers say that “As dietary exposure is modifiable, one may speculate, pending further investigation, about the potential for reduction of stage B heart failure and later mortality.”
