Publications by authors named "Veronica Escurriol"

Phytosterol intake with natural foods, a measure of healthy dietary choices, increases plasma levels, but increased plasma phytosterols are believed to be a coronary heart disease (CHD) risk factor. To address this paradox, we evaluated baseline risk factors, phytosterol intake, and plasma noncholesterol sterol levels in participants of a case control study nested within the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Spanish cohort who developed CHD (n = 299) and matched controls (n = 584) who remained free of CHD after a 10 year follow-up. Sitosterol-to-cholesterol ratios increased across tertiles of phytosterol intake (P = 0.

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Background: Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of mortality worldwide. CHD clusters in families but this familial aggregation remains largely unexplained. ESR1 is a candidate gene for CHD although recent meta-analyses of the rs2234693 variant reported inconsistent evidence for association with myocardial infarction (MI) in men.

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Background: Phytosterols in natural foods are thought to inhibit cholesterol absorption. The Mediterranean diet is rich in phytosterol-containing plant foods.

Aim Of The Study: To assess whether increasing phytosterol intake from natural foods was associated with a cholesterol-lowering effect in a substudy of a randomized trial of nutritional intervention with Mediterranean diets for primary cardiovascular prevention (PREDIMED study).

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Objective: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the Spanish European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohort to investigate the association among education level, as a measurement of socioeconomic position, gender, and dietary nutrient intake, focusing on plant sterols, in a Mediterranean population.

Methods: A sample of 25 615 women and 15 552 men (29-69 y old) from the Spanish EPIC cohort was recruited in 1992-1996. Nutrient and plant sterol intakes were estimated using a validated dietary history questionnaire and Spanish food composition tables.

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Background: In addition to the well established cardiovascular risk factors, evidence suggests a possible role of genetic and non-classical risk factors in the development and progression of atherothrombosis. We aimed to determine the relationship of classical and non-classical cardiovascular risk factors with candidate gene polymorphisms potentially involved in cardiovascular risk in the general Mediterranean population.

Design: Cross-sectional study.

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Background: Obesity is associated with oxidative stress, and the oxidation of LDL is thought to play a crucial role in the generation of atherosclerotic lesions.

Objective: The objective was to describe the association of waist circumference (WC) and body mass index (BMI; in kg/m2) with plasma circulating oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) and C-reactive protein (CRP).

Design: This cross-sectional study included data for circulating ox-LDL and CRP from a subpopulation of 586 men and women enrolled in a population-based survey conducted in 2000 in Girona, Spain.

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