Research Question: Primary aim – To evaluate the relationship between dietary patterns or components and HF risk and incidence.
(1) Does adherence to the Mediterranean diet, (using a Mediterranean diet score) or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet (using the DASH score) predict incident HF or HF-associated risk factors (for example, hypertension, Type 2 Diabetes, previous myocardial infarction, smoking)
(@) Does the amount of polyunsaturated fat intake per day (omega-3 intake >1g/day) predict incident HF or associated risk factors listed above.
(4) Does the proportion of fat to protein + carbohydrate intake per day predict incident HF or associated risk factors (listed above)
Rationale: Heart Failure (HF) is a prevalent condition and increasing in incidence, affecting over 56 million people worldwide. It is associated with a marked decrease in life expectancy. Despite improvements in HF treatments, 2 the condition continues to contribute to a disproportionate number of hospitalisations that accelerate disease trajectory and unsurprisingly has resulted in a substantial burden on health economies worldwide. The current management of HF involves a combination of disease-modifying medications. Even though these treatments improve outcomes and reduce hospitalisations, long-term adherence can be challenging for patients given the cost, potential medication interactions and treatment fatigue. Dietary modification has therefore been suggested as an important adjunctive intervention. Dietary modification in HF has traditionally focussed on low-sodium diets, however, particular dietary patterns including the Mediterranean Diet, Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet and a Ketogenic diet have gained popularity given their potential benefits in hypertension, weight management and anti-inflammatory effects. Along with dietary patterns, individual dietary components have been explored but overall research is lacking in this area.
