Diet Quality and Associated Factors in Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease Patients with and without Diabetes at a Specialized Outpatient Clinic in the City of Pelotas, Brazil

Background: In most cases, atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ACVD) is preventable through primary prevention and control of traditional risk factors, such as smoking cessation, regular physical activity, and adherence to healthy dietary patterns. The assessment of diet quality of ACVD patients would be important for a dietary intervention. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate diet quality of ACVD patients and its association with clinical conditions. Methods: This cross-sectional study was nested within a randomized clinical trial entitled “Programa Alimentar Cardioprotetor Brasileiro.” Baseline data of 80 patients from Pelotas, Brazil, were obtained. Food consumption was assessed using 24-h food recall and the Revised Diet Quality Index (IQD-R). Data on smoking status and comorbidities were reported by the patients during medical history taking. To analyze the associations between IQD-R and clinical variables, unpaired Student’s t-test or the analysis of variance was performed. The significance level was 5%. Results: Most of the sample consisted of men (66.5%), elderly individuals (52.50%), patients with hypertension (78.75%), dyslipidemia (58.75%), and overweight (73.75%). The average IQD-R score was 56.7 ± 12.6 points. Better quality of diet was observed for patients with diabetes compared to those without diabetes (61.1 ± 11.8 versus 54.0 ± 12.6 points; p=0.014). Conclusion: There is a need to improve diet quality of ACVD patients. Patients ACVD and diabetes had better diet quality compared to those without diabetes.