TABLE 6.
Model 3: percent change in total and LDL cholesterol in relation to MDEΔ score and concurrent changes in calories, fish, and plant-based foods1
| Characteristic | Total cholesterol (n = 99) | LDL cholesterol (n = 98)2 | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| β (95% CI), % | P | β (95% CI), % | P | |
| MDEΔ score (1 serving reduction) | −3.7 (−5.7, −1.6) | 0.001 | −3.3 (−6.0, −0.4) | 0.03 |
| Kilocalories (100-kcal decrease) | −0.2 (−1.1, 0.8) | 0.72 | −0.2 (−1.5, 1.1) | 0.74 |
| Interaction | 0.1 (−0.2, 0.5) | 0.45 | 0.1 (−0.3, 0.5) | 0.60 |
| MDEΔ score (1 serving reduction) | −3.2 (−4.9, −1.5) | 0.00033 | −2.9 (−5.5, −0.2) | 0.03 |
| Fish (1-oz increase) | 2.9 (−0.5, 6.3) | 0.09 | 1.7 (−3.5, 7.2) | 0.51 |
| Interaction term | −0.1 (−1.5, 1.3) | 0.88 | 0.1 (−2.0, 2.2) | 0.94 |
| MDEΔ score (1 serving reduction) | −3.2 (−5.0, −1.3) | 0.001 | −2.7 (−5.1, −0.2) | 0.03 |
| Whole grain (1-oz-eq increase) | 0.5 (−2.9, 3.9) | 0.78 | 0.9 (−3.9, 5.9) | 0.72 |
| Interaction term | 0.2 (−1.1, 1.5) | 0.76 | 0.3 (−1.6, 2.2) | 0.78 |
| MDEΔ score (1 serving reduction) | −3.1 (−4.8, −1.5) | 0.00043 | −3.6 (−6.0, −1.2) | 0.004 |
| Refined grain (1-oz-eq increase) | −0.7 (−4.0, 2.7) | 0.67 | −2.1 (−7.0, 3.1) | 0.42 |
| Interaction term | 0.2 (−1.2, 1.6) | 0.81 | 1.4 (−0.6, 3.3) | 0.17 |
| MDEΔ score (1 serving reduction) | −2.4 (−4.3, −0.4) | 0.02 | −2.4 (−5.1, 0.4) | 0.09 |
| Legumes (1-cup-eq increase) | −7.7 (−26.3, 15.5) | 0.48 | −23.9 (−46.2, 7.7) | 0.12 |
| Interaction term | 0.5 (−5.7, 7.2) | 0.87 | 8.3 (−2.3, 19.9) | 0.13 |
| MDEΔ score (1 serving reduction) | −2.5 (−4.2, −0.7) | 0.006 | −1.6 (−4.3, 1.2) | 0.27 |
| Soy products (1-oz-eq increase) | 1.7 (−5.4, 9.4) | 0.64 | 1.2 (−11.3, 15.4) | 0.86 |
| Interaction term | −2.0 (−4.7, 0.8) | 0.16 | −2.6 (−7.3, 2.3) | 0.29 |
| MDEΔ score (1 serving reduction) | −3.1 (−4.9, −1.2) | 0.002 | −2.5 (−5.1, 0.1) | 0.06 |
| Nuts and seeds (1-oz-eq increase) | 0.4 (−2.0, 2.8) | 0.74 | −0.7 (−4.5, 3.2) | 0.71 |
| Interaction term | −0.2 (−1.1, 0.7) | 0.65 | 0.2 (−1.3, 1.7) | 0.80 |
| MDEΔ score (1 serving reduction) | −3.0 (−5.0, −1.0) | 0.004 | −3.0 (−5.5, −0.4) | 0.02 |
| Fruit and vegetables (1-cup-eq increase) | −1.0 (−3.1, 1.2) | 0.36 | −2.3 (−5.1, 0.5) | 0.10 |
| Interaction term | 0.2 (−0.7, 1.1) | 0.69 | 0.8 (−0.3, 1.8) | 0.15 |
| MDEΔ score (1 serving reduction) | −2.5 (−4.4, −0.6) | 0.01 | −2.1 (−4.7, 0.7) | 0.14 |
| Oil (10-g increase) | −0.8 (−3.8, 2.3) | 0.62 | −2.9 (−7.7, 2.1) | 0.25 |
| Interaction term | −0.4 (−1.5, 0.8) | 0.53 | 0.3 (−1.5, 2.2) | 0.72 |
| MDEΔ score (1 serving reduction) | −3.0 (−4.7, −1.3) | 0.001 | −2.5 (−5.0, 0.0) | 0.05 |
| Added sugar (10-g increase) | −0.3 (−1.9, 1.3) | 0.72 | −0.4 (−2.7, 2.0) | 0.75 |
| Interaction term | −0.1 (−0.7, 0.5) | 0.78 | −0.1 (−0.9, 0.8) | 0.89 |
1Multiple linear regression results for the association between the change in health biomarkers and change in MDEΔ score (as measured by FFQ), testing for interactions between MDEΔ score and non-MDE foods. Models control for weight change in addition to the natural log-transformed baseline biomarker value, baseline MDE score, baseline calories, change in calories, age, sex, baseline BMI, average METs, change in METs, and number of days on the MDE restricted diet at time of biomarker collection. Confidence intervals were calculated using robust standard errors. CI, confidence interval; cup-eq, cup-equivalent; MDE, meat, dairy, and eggs; MDEΔ, number of meat, dairy, and egg servings given up during Lent; MET, metabolic equivalent value; oz-eq, ounce-equivalent.
2Excluding 1 individual with an unreliable LDL measure at the Lenten follow-up due to triglycerides >400 mg/dL.
3Significant at a Bonferroni-adjusted α level of 0.0005.