Low Fat Intake and Coronary Artery Disease in a Population with Higher Prevalence of Coronary Artery Disease: The Indian Paradox

Objective: To determine the association between saturated fat intake and prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) and coronary risk factors.Design and Setting: Total community cross sectional survey of 20 urban streets out of 196 streets, in the city of Moradabad in north India.Subjects and Methods: Adult population between 25 to 64 years inclusive comprised of 1806 subjects (904 men, 902 women) were divided into three groups according to level of saturated fat intake as assessed by 7-day dietary intake records (very low 10% energy (en) per day).Results: We examined the relationship between CAD risk and levels of % en from fat intake. Low (7 to 10% en/day) and high (>10% en/day) saturated fat were positively and significantly associated with higher prevalence of CAD. The prevalence of coronary risk factors (hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, obesity and sedentary lifestyle) were significantly higher among subjects with low and high saturated fat intake compared to subjects wit...