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Frequent olive oil intake may reduce platelet activity in adults with obesity
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A diet with higher olive oil consumption may lower the risk for CV events in obese adults due to reduced platelet activity, according to data presented at the American Heart Association’s EPI-Lifestyle Scientific Sessions.
Ruina Zhang, a medical student at the New York University School of Medicine, and colleagues sought to identify whether olive oil intake is associated with reduced platelet activation in a cohort of obese, nonsmoking, nondiabetic adults without known CVD.
“To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the effects of dietary composition, olive oil specifically, on platelet function in obese patients,” Zhang said in a press release.
Researchers analyzed platelet activation with and without agonist exposure via flow cytometry. Platelet activation was compared with analysis of variance, with post hoc independent sample t testing.
Diet composition was estimated through food frequency surveys.
Zhang and colleagues analyzed 63 participants (mean age, 32 years; mean BMI, 44 kg/m2) with obesity but no diabetes, smoking or prior CVD.
Participants were stratified into three groups by frequency of olive oil intake: consumption once per week or less, one to three times per week or more than four times per week, the researchers wrote.
Participants with frequent olive oil consumption showed lower platelet activation to agonists compared with participants consuming one or fewer servings, Zhang and colleagues wrote. Non-agonized platelet activity did not differ significantly by olive oil intake frequency.
The researchers saw no correlation between platelet activity and the consumption of red meat, eggs, butter or margarine.
“People who are obese are at increased risk of having a heart attack, stroke or other cardiovascular event, even if they don’t have diabetes or other obesity-associated conditions,” Sean P. Heffron, MD, MS, MSc, assistant professor at NYU School of Medicine and the NYU Center for the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease, said in the press release. “Our study suggests that choosing to eat olive oil may have the potential to help modify that risk, potentially lowering an obese person’s threat of having a heart attack or stroke.” – by Earl Holland Jr.
Reference:
Zhang R, et al. Abstract P335. Presented at: EPI-Lifestyle 2019 Scientific Sessions; March 5-8, 2019; Houston.
Disclosures: The authors report no relevant financial disclosures.