How dietary evidence for the prevention and treatment of CVD is translated into practice in those with or at high risk of CVD: a systematic review

Healthy rural hearts: The feasibility of a telehealth nutrition randomised controlled trial for rural people at risk of cardiovascular disease

INTRODUCTION

Improving dietary patterns using medical nutrition therapy delivered via telehealth could make an effective contribution to reducing cardiovascular disease burden in rural Australia. However, it is important that medical nutrition therapy programmes are developed in collaboration with rural stakeholders, to increase feasibility for the rural context and the likelihood of successful implementation. The aim of this study was to evaluate the preliminary feasibility outcomes of integration (implementation), practicality, acceptability, demand, and preliminary effectiveness at the 3-month timepoint of the Healthy Rural Hearts randomised control trial.

METHODS

Feasibility measures were collected from participants in the Healthy Rural Hearts medical nutrition therapy trial. Study participants were patients from eligible primary care practices who had been assessed by their general practitioner as being at moderate to high risk of developing cardiovascular disease in the next five years. The sample in this analysis includes those who had completed the first 3-months of the study. Feasibility outcomes were measured over the first 3-months of the trial intervention. A process evaluation survey was used to collect measures relating to intervention implementation, practicality, acceptability, and demand. Completion rates of the Australian Eating Survey Heart version, Personalised Nutrition Questionnaire, pathology tests and telehealth medical nutrition therapy consultations delivered by Accredited Practising Dietitians were also used to measure intervention practicality. Preliminary effectiveness was evaluated by comparing the intervention group's dietary change, measured using Australian Eating Survey Heart with data from the control group.

RESULTS

A total of 105 participants (75 intervention, 30 control participants) were eligible for inclusion in analysis. Attendance rates at the first 3-months of dietitian consultations ranged from 94.7% to 89.3% between the first and 3-month consultations, and most participants were able to complete the Australian Eating Survey Heart and Personalised Nutrition Questionnaire prior to their initial consultation [Australian Eating Survey Heart (n = 57, 76%) and Personalised Nutrition Questionnaire (n = 61, 81.3%)] and the Australian Eating Survey Heart prior to their 3-month consultation (n = 52, 69.3%). Of the participants who completed a pathology test at the 3-month time-point (n = 54, 72%), less than half were able to do so prior to their dietitian consultation (n = 35, 46.7%). Of the 75 intervention participants, 28 (37.3%) completed the process evaluation survey. Intervention participants ranked acceptability of the Healthy Rural Hearts intervention highly (mean rank out of 10 = 9.5, SD 1.9), but provided mixed responses on whether they would access the intervention outside of the study (mean rank out of 10 = 6.0, SD 3.5). There were statistically significant increases in percentage total energy intake derived from nutrient-dense core foods compared to the control group (p ≤ 0.05).

DISCUSSION

The positive findings related to acceptability and implementation outcomes suggest that the Healthy Rural Hearts intervention was acceptable, practical, and able to be implemented within this population living in rural NSW. This, combined with the small to medium effect size in the proportion of total energy derived from nutrient-dense core foods compared to the control group indicates that long-term intervention effectiveness on other cardiovascular disease outcomes is important to evaluate in the future.

Developing a telehealth medical nutrition therapy (MNT) service for adults living in rural Australia at risk of cardiovascular disease: An intervention development study

BACKGROUND

Receiving medical nutrition therapy (MNT) from an accredited practising dietitian (APD) can reduce diet-related cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors. However, people living in rural areas of Australia experience barriers to accessing dietitians because of their remote location. Telehealth has the potential to improve dietetic access in rural areas; however, there is limited research into the development and delivery of telehealth MNT interventions specific to these areas. The present study describes the development of the Healthy Rural Hearts (HealthyRHearts) telehealth MNT intervention, which was developed as a part of the HealthyRHearts randomised control trial, set in primary care practices in rural areas of the Hunter New England and Central Coast Primary Health Network. The aim of HealthyRHearts is to improve diet-related risk factors for CVD in rural adults at moderate to high CVD risk using a telehealth MNT intervention delivered by an APD.

METHODS

The study describes the development of the HealthyRHearts telehealth MNT intervention, using the 14-item GUIDance for rEporting of intervention Development (GUIDED) checklist and the Template for Intervention Description and Replication (TIDieR) framework to guide description.

RESULTS

HealthyRHearts is a complex intervention that aims to translate a telehealth MNT intervention for CVD prevention into rural and remote primary care settings. The intervention is designed to be implemented across multiple sites of varying characteristics and needs, with the ability to accommodate individual complexities within the rural context and target population. Participants are adults aged 45-75 years who are assessed as moderate to high risk of CVD by their general practitioner (GP). Consenting participants are referred to the intervention by their GPs and receive five telehealth MNT consultations with an APD over 6-months. APDs are trained in the intervention protocol including intervention materials, resources and behaviour change counselling strategies.

CONCLUSION

Using the GUIDED and TIDieR frameworks to guide description of the HealthyRHearts intervention development process facilitates detailed description of decision-making pathways for each element of the intervention design. The comprehensive description of the intervention development process for HealthyRHearts is intended to facilitate replication, iteration and optimisation of the intervention for rural contexts.

HealthyRHearts - reducing cholesterol in rural adults via telehealth-based medical nutrition therapy: protocol for a cluster randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Few randomised controlled trials specifically focus on prevention in rural populations. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) contributes to approximately one quarter of deaths in Australia. Nutrition is a key component affecting many risk factors associated with CVD, including hypercholesterolaemia. However, access to medical nutrition therapy (MNT) is limited for people living in rural areas, potentially exacerbating inequities related to health outcomes. Telehealth services present an opportunity to improve MNT access and address healthcare disparities for rural populations. The present study aims to evaluate feasibility, acceptability, and cost-effectiveness of a telehealth MNT CVD intervention program in lowering CVD risk over 12-months in regional and rural primary health care settings.

METHODS/DESIGN

A cluster randomised controlled trial set in rural and regional general practices in NSW, Australia, and their consenting patients (n = 300 participants). Practices will be randomised to either control (usual care from their General Practitioner (GP) + low level individualised dietetic feedback) or intervention groups (usual care from their GP + low level individualised dietetic feedback + telehealth MNT intervention). Telehealth consultations will be delivered by an Accredited Practising Dietitian (APD), with each intervention participant scheduled to receive five consultations over a 6-month period. System-generated generic personalised nutrition feedback reports are provided based on completion of the Australian Eating Survey - Heart version (AES-Heart), a food frequency questionnaire. Eligible participants must be assessed by their GP as at moderate (≥ 10%) to high (> 15%) risk of a CVD event within the next five years using the CVD Check calculator and reside in a regional or rural area within the Hunter New England Central Coast Primary Health Network (HNECC PHN) to be eligible for inclusion. Outcome measures are assessed at baseline, 3, 6 and 12 months. The primary outcome is reduction in total serum cholesterol. Evaluation of the intervention feasibility, acceptability and cost-effective will incorporate quantitative, economic and qualitative methodologies.

DISCUSSION

Research outcomes will provide knowledge on effectiveness of MNT provision in reducing serum cholesterol, and feasibility, acceptability, and cost-effectiveness of delivering MNT via telehealth to address CVD risk in rural regions. Results will inform translation to health policy and practice for improving access to clinical care in rural Australia.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

This trial is registered at anzctr.org.au under the acronym HealthyRHearts (Healthy Rural Hearts), registration number ACTRN12621001495819.

Effectiveness and reporting of nutrition interventions in cardiac rehabilitation programmes: a systematic review

AIMS

Dietary modification is essential for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. However, there are limited published evidence syntheses to guide practice in the cardiac rehabilitation (CR) setting. This systematic review's objective was to assess effectiveness and reporting of nutrition interventions to optimize dietary intake in adults attending CR.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of nutrition interventions within CR were eligible for inclusion and had to have measured change in dietary intake. MEDLINE, Embase, Emcare, PsycINFO, CINAHL, Scopus, and The Cochrane Library were searched from 2000 to June 2020, limited to publications in English. Evidence from included RCTs was synthesized descriptively. The risk of bias was assessed using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool. This review is registered on PROSPERO; CRD42020188723. Of 13 048 unique articles identified, 11 were eligible. Randomized controlled trials were conducted in 10 different countries, included 1542 participants, and evaluated 29 distinct dietary intake outcomes. Five studies reported statistically significant changes in diet across 13 outcomes. Most nutrition interventions were not reported in a manner that allowed replication in clinical practice or future research.

CONCLUSION

There is a gap in research testing high-quality nutrition interventions in CR settings. Findings should be interpreted in the light of limitations, given the overall body of evidence was heterogenous across outcomes and study quality; 6 of 11 studies were conducted more than 10 years old. Future research should investigate strategies to optimize and maintain nutrition improvements for patients attending CR.

REGISTRATION

PROSPERO; CRD42020188723.

Variation in cardiovascular disease risk factors among older adults in the Hunter Community Study cohort; a comparison of diet quality versus polygenic risk score

Background

The interplay between cardiovascular disease (CVD) genetic risk indexed by a polygenic risk score (PRS) and diet quality still requires further investigation amongst older adults or those with established or treated CVD. The present study aimed to evaluate the relative contribution of diet quality, measured using the Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS) and PRS, with respect to explaining variation in plasma lipids CVD outcomes in the Hunter Cohort.

Methods

The study comprised a secondary analysis of cross‐sectional data from the Hunter Cohort study. Single‐nucleotide polymorphisms from previously derived polygenic scores (PGSs) for three lipid classes were obtained: low‐density lipoprotein, high‐density lipoprotein and triglycerides, as well as PRS for coronary artery disease (CAD) from the PGS catalogue. Regression modelling and odds ratios were used to determine associations between PRS, ARFS and CVD risk.

Results

In total, 1703 participants were included: mean ± SD age 66 ± 7.4 years, 51% female, mean ± SD total ARFS 28.1 ± 8 (out of 74). Total diet quality and vegetable subscale were not significantly associated with measured lipids. By contrast, PGS for each lipid demonstrated a markedly strong, statistically significant correlation with its respective measured lipid. There was a significant association between CAD PRS and 5/6 CVD phenotypes (all except atrial fibrillation), with the largest effect size shown with coronary bypass. Adding dietary intake as a covariate did not change this relationship.

Conclusions

Lipid PGS explained more variance in measured lipids than diet quality. However, the poor diet quality observed in the current cohort may have limited the ability to observe any beneficial effects. Future research should investigate whether the diet quality of older adults can be improved and also the effect of these improvements on changes in polygenic risk.

The Australian Recommended Food Score (ARFS) had little association with lipid and cardiovascular disease (CVD) endpoints.

Lipid polygenic score (PGS) explained more variance in measured lipids than diet quality.

The lipid PGS was associated with all three lipid parameters and some CVD endpoints, especially high cholesterol.

Coronary artery disease polygenic risk score was associated with CVD endpoints angina, coronary bypass, heart attack, high cholesterol and hypertension and some lipid parameters (high‐density lipoprotein cholesterol).

The Effectiveness of Randomized Controlled Trials to Improve Dietary Intake in the Context of Cardiovascular Disease Prevention and Management in Rural Communities: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Dietary intake is an important modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease. However, to our knowledge, there are no systematic reviews of nutrition interventions in the context of cardiovascular disease prevention and management within rural communities. This is important to investigate, given the unique geographic, social, and contextual factors associated with rurality.

OBJECTIVE

Our primary objective was to systematically assess evidence on the effectiveness of randomized controlled trials to improve dietary intake in the context of cardiovascular disease prevention and management in rural communities.

METHODS

Nine electronic databases were searched from inception to June 2020, including MEDLINE, The Cochrane Library, Embase, Emcare, PsycINFO, Scopus, Rural and Remote Health, CINAHL, and AMED. Randomized controlled trials that reported results of interventions with adult, rural populations and measured change in dietary intake compared to usual care, alternative intervention, or no intervention controls were included. Included randomized controlled trials were also assessed according to the TIDieR (Template for Intervention Description and Reporting) checklist and RE-AIM (reach, effectiveness, adoption, implementation, maintenance) framework.

RESULTS

Thirteen articles reporting results of randomized controlled trials were identified. Included articles reported a range of nutrition interventions and measured 18 dietary intake outcomes. Most studies (n = 10) demonstrated effectiveness in altering at least 1 dietary intake outcome, including fruit and/or vegetable (n = 9), fiber (n = 2), Dietary Risk Assessment score (n = 2), energy, dairy, carotene, vitamin C and sodium (all n = 1). However, there was wide variation in the reporting of intervention components (according to the TIDieR checklist) and impact (according to RE-AIM framework), resulting in difficulty interpreting the "real-world" implications of these results.

CONCLUSIONS

Through this systematic review, we found limited evidence of improvement in dietary intakes due to nutrition interventions in the context of cardiovascular disease prevention and management in rural communities. Fruit and/or vegetable intakes were the most frequently reported dietary intake outcomes, and most likely to be improved across the included studies. Included studies were generally not well reported, which may hinder replication by clinicians and consolidation of the evidence base by other researchers. Given the substantial burden of cardiovascular disease experienced by those living in rural areas of developed countries, additional high-quality nutrition research that acknowledges the complexities of rural health is required.

Healthy Dietary Patterns for Preventing Cardiometabolic Disease: The Role of Plant-Based Foods and Animal Products

Diets rich in plant foods are increasingly recommended to lower the risk of cardiometabolic diseases because of strong evidence that fruit, vegetables, legumes, whole grains, nuts, and seeds are protective. Although some animal products, such as unprocessed lean red meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products, are recommended in dietary patterns to prevent cardiometabolic diseases, many health professionals advocate for exclusively plant-based dietary patterns. The aim of this article was to review recent evidence on the relative contributions of plant-based foods and animal products to a healthy dietary pattern. Secondary aims were to discuss current consumption patterns and adherence to dietary recommendations. Epidemiologic evidence suggests that a higher intake of plant-based foods is associated with a lower risk of cardiometabolic disease, whereas a higher meat intake increases the risk of cardiometabolic disease and the replacement of small quantities of animal protein with plant protein is associated with lower risk. Randomized controlled studies show that nutrient-dense diets containing animal protein, including some unprocessed lean meats, improve cardiovascular disease risk factors. Therefore, it is likely that the consumption of animal products, at recommended amounts, in the context of a dietary pattern that meets recommendations for fruit, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes, and does not exceed recommendations for added sugar, sodium, and saturated fat, may not increase cardiometabolic risk. Currently, adherence to these recommendations is suboptimal. Therefore, rather than debating the merits of healthy dietary patterns that are exclusively plant-based or that include animal sources in recommended amounts, the focus should be on improving overall eating patterns to align with dietary guidelines. Registered Dietitian/Nutritionists (RDNs) have the requisite nutrition expertise to facilitate change at the individual and population levels to promote adherence to healthy dietary patterns. Importantly, advocacy activities are urgently needed to create a healthier food environment, and all health professionals, including RDNs, must play a role.