Effect of Daily Avocado Consumption on Vascular Health in Adults With Abdominal Obesity: A Sub-Study of the Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial, a Randomized Controlled Study

Abstract

Abstract Objectives To examine the effect of providing 1 avocado per day for consumption over a 6-month period on cardiovascular health compared to habitual dietary intake in individuals with abdominal obesity. Methods The Habitual diet and Avocado Trial (HAT), a multicenter parallel randomized controlled trial, included participants ≥25 years of age with an elevated waist circumference (≥88 cm women; ≥102 cm men). Participants were randomized to either an experimental group (AVO: consumed 1 avocado/day for 6 months) or a control group (HD: consumed < 2 avocados/month for 6 months). At the Pennsylvania State University, University Park (n = 126), vascular health was measured using a SphygmoCor XCEL (AtCor Medical) at baseline and at the end of the study period. Outcomes include central systolic blood pressure (cSBP), central diastolic blood pressure (cDBP), and pulse wave velocity (PWV), a marker of arterial stiffness. Mixed models were used to examine between-group differences in change across 6 months. Results The sample was 77% female (BMI 34 ± 4 kg/m2, waist circumference 105 ± 12 cm). No significant between-group differences in 6-month change were observed for cSBP (AVO: 1.06 mmHg 95% CI − 1.57, 3.69; HD: 0.35 mmHg 95% CI −2.26, 2.96; P = 0.62), cDBP (AVO: 0.07 mmHg 95% CI −1.82, 1.96; HD: −0.91 mmHg 95% CI − 2.79, 0.97; P = 0.34), or PWV (AVO: −0.18 m/s 95% CI −0.53, 0.17; HD: 0.08 m/s 95% CI −0.27, 0.43; P = 0.17). Conclusions Results suggest that providing adults with abdominal obesity 1 avocado per day to consume for 6 months is not associated with a statistically significant improvement in central blood pressure or PWV, compared to adults following their habitual diet. Additional research using larger samples and longer intervention periods is needed to clarify whether habitual avocado consumption yields clinically significant benefits to cardiovascular health. Funding Sources Hass Avocado Board and the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, National Institutes of Health (1UL1TR002014-01).