Carbohydrate quantity and quality may influence risk of cardiovascular disease through blood lipid concentrations and inflammation. We measured dietary glycemic index (GI) and dietary glycemic load (GL) among 18,137 healthy women ≥ 45 years old without diagnosed diabetes using a food-frequency questionnaire. We assayed fasting total, HDL, and LDL cholesterol, LDL:HDL cholesterol ratio, triacylglycerols (TG), and C-reactive protein (CRP). We evaluated associations with dietary GI and GL using a cross-sectional design, adjusting for age, body mass index, lifestyle factors, and other dietary factors. Dietary GI was significantly associated with HDL and LDL cholesterol, LDL:HDL cholesterol ratio, TG, and CRP (comparing top to bottom quintile difference in HDL cholesterol = -2.6 mg/dL, LDL cholesterol = 2.2 mg/dL, LDL:HDL cholesterol ratio = 0.16, TG = 12 mg/dL, and CRP = 0.21 mg/L). Dietary GL was associated with HDL cholesterol, LDL:HDL cholesterol ratio, and TG (comparing top to bottom quintile HDL cholesterol = -4.9 mg/dL, LDL:HDL cholesterol ratio = 0.24, and TG = 13 mg/dL). Differences in blood lipids and CRP between extreme quintiles of dietary GI and GL were small, but may translate into a clinically meaningful difference in cardiovascular risk.
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