FOOD-BASED BIOMARKERS, DIET QUALITY, AND CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
Lead Research Organisation:
Queen's University Belfast
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
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Technical Summary
Coronary heart disease (CHD), the leading cause of deaths in the U.S., is a preventable disease. Largely through smoking cessation promotion and improved control of hypertension and dyslipidemia through diet and medications, the U.S. has witnessed a decline of CHD incidence and mortality in the past decades,1 although such a decline has plateaued.2 The role of diet in the prevention of CHD has become more critical for a further reduction in CHD incidence and mortality. The current dietary guidelines recommend eating higher-quality diets, especially those enriched with plant-based foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, and low in animal products, such as red meats, for lowering the risk of CHD,3, 4 although research is needed to further characterize healthful diets tailored toward individuals’ preference and dietary habits.
Objective biomarkers that can reliably capture intakes are needed to further substantiate the link between healthful dietary patterns and CHD risk, monitor compliance. In addition, food biomarkers can be used to characterize an individual’s dietary pattern5 and to develop personalized dietary advice. In this regard, metabolomic profiling techniques are instrumental in identifying novel molecules that can serve as highlyspecific, objective biomarkers of food intake. We and others have recently identified several novel markers of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), citrus fruits, chicken, red meats, and other foods, using metabolomics approaches.7-10 Despite these advances, few studies have attempted to demonstrate doseresponse relationships with food intake, discover markers for other important foods, systematically examined biomarkers that jointly can capture overall diet quality, evaluated associations of food biomarkers with CHD risk, or tailored dietary interventions toward specific food biomarkers to improve overall diet quality.
To fill these knowledge gaps, we propose to conduct multiple, complementary, inter-connected projects that bridge novel food biomarker discovery, examination of dietary biomarkers in relation to CHD risk, and evaluation of the efficacy of using biomarker-based personalized advice to improve diet quality. This grant is highly responsive to the US-Ireland R&D Partnership Programme that encourages “tri-partite” collaborations among investigators in U.S., Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland. We have assembled a strong and interdisciplinary investigator team with expertise in metabolomics profiling, nutritional and cardiovascular epidemiology, bioinformatics, public health nutrition, and clinical research.
Objective biomarkers that can reliably capture intakes are needed to further substantiate the link between healthful dietary patterns and CHD risk, monitor compliance. In addition, food biomarkers can be used to characterize an individual’s dietary pattern5 and to develop personalized dietary advice. In this regard, metabolomic profiling techniques are instrumental in identifying novel molecules that can serve as highlyspecific, objective biomarkers of food intake. We and others have recently identified several novel markers of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), citrus fruits, chicken, red meats, and other foods, using metabolomics approaches.7-10 Despite these advances, few studies have attempted to demonstrate doseresponse relationships with food intake, discover markers for other important foods, systematically examined biomarkers that jointly can capture overall diet quality, evaluated associations of food biomarkers with CHD risk, or tailored dietary interventions toward specific food biomarkers to improve overall diet quality.
To fill these knowledge gaps, we propose to conduct multiple, complementary, inter-connected projects that bridge novel food biomarker discovery, examination of dietary biomarkers in relation to CHD risk, and evaluation of the efficacy of using biomarker-based personalized advice to improve diet quality. This grant is highly responsive to the US-Ireland R&D Partnership Programme that encourages “tri-partite” collaborations among investigators in U.S., Republic of Ireland, and Northern Ireland. We have assembled a strong and interdisciplinary investigator team with expertise in metabolomics profiling, nutritional and cardiovascular epidemiology, bioinformatics, public health nutrition, and clinical research.
Organisations
Publications
McKay GJ
(2021)
Association of low plasma antioxidant levels with all-cause mortality and coronary events in healthy middle-aged men from France and Northern Ireland in the PRIME study.
in European journal of nutrition
Brennan S
(2022)
Validity and reproducibility of the Prime Diet Quality Score (PDQS) against a four-day food diary in adults at risk of cardiovascular disease on the island of Ireland
in Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
Woodside JV
(2022)
Meeting report: plant-rich dietary patterns and health - ERRATUM.
in The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
Grohmann T
(2022)
The PAD-Q Study - a novel approach to quantify diet quality and offer personalised advice based on diet quality and food intake biomarkers in biological samples
in Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
Woodside JV
(2022)
Meeting report: plant-rich dietary patterns and health.
in The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
Ferrari M
(2024)
The development of a personalised dietary feedback system (PAD-Q), based on a diet quality screening tool and dietary biomarkers, for adults at risk of cardiovascular disease on the island of Ireland
in Proceedings of the Nutrition Society
Description | Federation of European Societies workgroups to "Improved Standards in the Science of Nutrition" |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or Improved professional practice |
Description | Participation in a Federation of European Nutrition Societies Working Group "Improved Standards in the Science of Nutrition" |
Geographic Reach | Europe |
Policy Influence Type | Membership of a guideline committee |
Description | PPI activity |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
Results and Impact | Exploring opinions from PPI groups on the PAD-Q Study with a view to improve future related dietary intervention studies and methods of results dissemination |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
Description | Presentation at a biomarkers workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Presentation on use of biomarkers in public health; considering the practical and logistical issues involved in widespread use and incorporation. To occur April 2020 |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | Presented talk on 'Dietary Biomarkers and Public Health' at 'Dietary Biomarkers-Where to Next?' workshop hosted by University College Dublin 27-28th October 2020 (online event due to COVID-19). |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Presented talk on 'Dietary Biomarkers and Public Health' at 'Dietary Biomarkers-Where to Next?' workshop hosted by University College Dublin 27-28th October 2020. There were approximately 30 attendees in total and the talk considered the practical and logistical issues involved in widespread use and incorporation of biomarkers related to public health. The talk generated discussion among the scientific community and delegates in attendance. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
Description | Presented talk on 'Implementation of precision versus public health nutrition approaches in improving human diet quality' at 'Dietary Biomarker Symposium: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions in Food Biomarker Research' symposium hosted by Harvard University 16-17th November 2020 (online event due to COVID-19). |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Other audiences |
Results and Impact | Presented talk on 'Implementation of precision versus public health nutrition approaches in improving human diet quality' at 'Dietary Biomarker Symposium: Advances, Challenges, and Future Directions in Food Biomarker Research' symposium hosted by Harvard University 16-17th November 2020 (online event due to COVID-19). |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |