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Vegetarian Dietary Patterns in the Prevention of Metabolic Syndrome

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Dear Colleagues,

Metabolic syndrome is a cluster of risk factors that often occur together. It frequently includes overweight or obesity, hypertension, and abnormalities in fat and sugar metabolism. This combination of risk factors increases the likelihood of developing cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes. In industrialized countries, there is a growing epidemic of metabolic syndrome. The condition is associated with a less healthy lifestyle, with dietary habits playing a significant role. Healthy plant-based nutrition is considered a protective factor in both the prevention and treatment of metabolic syndrome. This Special Issue aims to collect scientific studies examining vegetarian dietary patterns in relation to metabolic syndrome.

Dr. Evelien Mertens
Dr. Peter Deriemaeker
Guest Editors

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14 pages, 434 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Association Between Follistatin and PAI-1 Levels in MASLD Subjects Undergoing a Plant-Based Dietary Intervention

by Nicole Cerabino, Caterina Bonfiglio, Martina Di Chito, Rosanna Donvito, Francesco Pio Mongelli, Pasqua Letizia Pesole, Dolores Stabile, Endrit Shahini, Marianna Zappimbulso, Raffaele Cozzolongo, Gianluigi Giannelli and Giovanni De Pergola

Nutrients 2025, 17(13), 2124; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17132124 - 26 Jun 2025

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Abstract

Background: Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a chronic liver condition intricately linked to systemic metabolic impairments. Among the molecular mediators implicated in its pathogenesis, follistatin and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) play a significant role in inflammatory, fibrotic, and metabolic processes. However, the interplay between these two biomarkers in the context of MASLD remains poorly understood. Objective: This study analyzes the relationship between follistatin and PAI-1 in subjects with MASLD and obesity. It also assesses changes in these biomarkers and metabolic parameters after a dietary intervention that involves increasing one serving of vegetables and reducing one serving of carbohydrates. Methods: Forty-four individuals with MASLD and obesity participated in a two-month dietary intervention. The concentrations of PAI-1 and follistatin were measured at baseline and post-intervention. Multivariate linear regression models, adjusted for age, gender, waist circumference, and insulin resistance (measured by HOMA-IR), were employed to analyze the association between the two biomarkers. Results: Following the dietary intervention, PAI-1 levels showed a significant reduction (from 35.76 to 33.54 ng/mL; p < 0.001), whereas follistatin concentrations remained relatively stable (from 43.6 to 45.3 ng/mL; p = 0.392). Post-intervention, multivariate analysis reveals that higher follistatin levels were independently associated with lower PAI-1 levels. The inclusion of follistatin in the regression model enhanced the estimated dietary effect on PAI-1 reduction (from –0.145 to –0.194), suggesting a possible independent modulatory role of follistatin in the regulation of PAI-1 levels. Conclusions: These findings indicate that follistatin may act as an inhibitory regulator of PAI-1 expression in individuals with MASLD and obesity, potentially contributing to reductions in the prothrombotic status during dietary intervention. The data suggest a synergistic relationship between follistatin and PAI-1 in the regulation of prothrombotic status in conditions of hepatic steatosis. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vegetarian Dietary Patterns in the Prevention of Metabolic Syndrome)

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11 pages, 2005 KiB

Open AccessBrief Report

Potato Consumption and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease in a Harmonized Analysis of Seven Prospective Cohorts

by Luc Djousse, Xia Zhou, Jaewon Lim, Eunjung Kim, Howard D. Sesso, I-Min Lee, Julie E. Buring, Robyn L. McClelland, John Michael Gaziano, Lyn M. Steffen and JoAnn E. Manson

Nutrients 2025, 17(3), 451; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17030451 - 26 Jan 2025

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Background/Objectives: While previous study results have suggested an elevated risk of type 2 diabetes with potato consumption, limited and inconsistent results are available on the association of potato consumption with the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and hypertension (HTN). We assessed the associations of (i) total potato consumption with the risk of CVD and HTN as the primary aim and (ii) fried potatoes and combined baked, boiled, and mashed potatoes with the risk of CVD and HTN as the secondary aim. Methods: We conducted a meta-analysis using data from seven cohorts for CVD (n = 110,063) and five cohorts for HTN (n = 67,146). Cox regression was used to estimate multivariable adjusted hazard ratios separately in each cohort and the cohort-specific results were meta-analyzed using an inverse-variance weighted method. Results: The mean age ranged from 25 to 72 years, 65% of the respondents were women, and the mean consumption of total potatoes ranged from 1.9 to 4.3 times per week. In the primary analysis, total potato intake was not associated with the risk of either CVD or HTN: multivariable adjusted HR (95% CI) comparing 5+ servings/week to no potato intake: 0.96 (0.89–1.04) for CVD and 1.04 (0.99–1.08) for HTN. In secondary analyses, the consumption of combined baked, boiled, and mashed potatoes was not associated with CVD or HTN; while fried potato consumption was not associated with CVD risk, there was a 10% higher risk of HTN (95% CI: 4% to 17%) comparing 1+ servings/week to no fried potato intake. Conclusions: While the consumption of total potato was not associated with the risk of CVD or HTN risk, a modest elevated risk of HTN but not CVD was observed only with fried potato consumption. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Vegetarian Dietary Patterns in the Prevention of Metabolic Syndrome)

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