Reduction of risk factors for cardiovascular diseases in African Americans with a 12-week nutrition education program

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the number one killer for the general population as well as for African Americans. It is known that a healthy diet and exercise can reduce the risk for coronary heart diseases. We hypothesize that nutrition education on healthy diets and emphasis on increased physical activity would help African Americans to reduce their risks for CVD. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a nutrition education program (the Tuskegee University Nutrition Outreach Program) on selected risk factors for CVD. Eighty-nine African Americans (aged 35-75 years, 15 men and 74 women) at high risk for CVD participated in the nutrition education program for 12 weeks. This was a completely randomized design, and the changes in the risk factors were analyzed using paired Student t test. Anthropometry, lipid profile, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, and antioxidation status were evaluated. After the nutrition education intervention, body weight and body mass index decreased by 3.1% and 3.2% (P < .001), respectively. The high-density lipoprotein cholesterol level increased from 52.4 to 57.5 mg/dL (P < .001), and triacylglycerol level decreased from 89.9 to 81.0 mg/dL (P < .05). The high-sensitivity C-reactive protein level decreased by 69% (P < .001), and the free radical–scavenging activity increased by 4.46% (P < .01). No significant differences were shown in waist-to-hip ratio, total and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and glutathione peroxidase activity. The findings indicated that this nutrition education program helped African Americans to reduce their risks for CVD through lifestyle changes.