Dietary protein sources, genetics, and cardiovascular disease incidence

Background: To explore the potential correlation between the amount and source of dietary protein and cardiovascular disease (CVD), as well as the potential impact of genetic susceptibility on these connections. Methods: We performed a prospective analysis of 98,224 participants from the UK. We measured dietary protein intake using two 24-hour dietary recall interviews. To analyze the data, we used multivariable-adjusted Cox regression models and restricted cubic spline models. Additionally, we calculated weighted genetic risk scores. Results: A total of 8818 new cases of CVD were documented, which included 4076 cases of coronary artery disease (CAD) and 1126 cases of stroke. The study found a J-shaped association (p nonlinearity = 0.005) between CVD risk and the percentage of energy obtained from consuming plant protein. Higher intake of plant protein and whole protein was associated with a decreased risk of CVD. On the other hand, larger intakes of animal protein was linked to a higher occurrence of CAD. Additionally, increased intake of plant protein was also linked to a lower incidence of stroke. Replacing 5 % of animal protein-based energy intake with plant protein-based energy intake resulted in a 5 % decrease in CVD risk. Limitations: There remains an effect of residual confounders. Conclusion: The consumption of larger amounts of plant protein, whole protein, and nut protein was found to be associated with a lower risk of CVD events. Conversely, higher intakes of animal protein was associated with an increased risk of CAD events. Furthermore, replacing 5 % of energy intake from animal protein with energy intake from plant protein was found to reduce the risk of CVD by 5 %.