Increased incidence of cardiovascular disease: are low-carbohydrate-high-protein diets truly to blame?

Commentary on: Lagiou P, Sandin S, Lof M, et al. Low carbohydrate-high protein diet and incidence of cardiovascular diseases in Swedish women: prospective cohort study. BMJ 2012; 344: :e4026.[OpenUrl][1] Low-carbohydrate—high-protein diets have become popular in developed countries as an aid to weight loss. However, uncertainties about their effectiveness in weight loss and concerns about long-term adverse impacts on cardiovascular health remain. Several systematic reviews1 ,2 have concluded that, with the increasing prevalence of obesity, there is a need for long-term evidence/studies of low-carbohydrate diets. The authors investigate the long-term consequences of low-carbohydrate diets (LCHD) on cardiovascular health in a female Swedish population. Women aged 30–49 recruited from the Swedish Women's Lifestyle and Health cohort were followed for a mean of 15.7 years. A self-administered questionnaire was used to assess lifestyle, physical activity … [1]: {openurl}?query=rft.jtitle%253DBMJ%26rft.volume%253D344%26rft.spage%253D%253Ae4026%26rft.atitle%253DLOW%2BCARBOHYDRATE-HIGH%2BPROTEIN%2BDIET%2BAND%2BINCIDENCE%2BOF%2BCARDIOVASCULAR%2BDISEASES%2BIN%2BSWEDISH%2BWOMEN%253A%2BPROSPECTIVE%2BCOHORT%2BSTUDY.%26rft.genre%253Darticle%26rft_val_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Ajournal%26ctx_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ver%253DZ39.88-2004%26url_ctx_fmt%253Dinfo%253Aofi%252Ffmt%253Akev%253Amtx%253Actx