Effects of egg ingestion on endothelial function in adults with coronary artery disease: A randomized, controlled, crossover trial

Background

Prevailing recommendations call for restricting intake of dietary cholesterol and eggs for those at risk of heart disease, despite accumulating evidence challenging this association. Our prior studies showed no short-term adverse effects of daily egg intake on cardiac risk factors in at-risk adults.

Objective

We conducted this study to determine effects of daily egg consumption in adults with established coronary artery disease (CAD).

Methods

Randomized, controlled, single-blind, crossover trial of 32 adults (mean age, 67 years; 6 women, 26 men) with CAD assigned to 1 of 6 possible sequence permutations of 3 different treatments (breakfast with 2 eggs, breakfast with ½ cup Egg Beaters, ConAgra Foods, St. Louis, MO, or a high-carbohydrate breakfast part of an ad libitum diet) for 6 weeks, with 4-week washout periods. The primary outcome measure was endothelial function measured as flow-mediated dilatation.

Results

Compared with the control breakfast (ie, high-carbohydrate breakfast), daily consumption of eggs showed no adverse effects on flow-mediated dilatation (7.2% ± 2.9% vs 7.5% ± 2.9%, P = .33), lipids (total cholesterol: 158.3 ± 28.6 mg/dL vs 156.2 ± 27.4 mg/dL, P = .49), blood pressure (systolic blood pressure: 132.8 ± 14.1 mm Hg or vs 135.5 ± 14.9 mm Hg, P = .52; diastolic blood pressure: 77.2 ± 6.1 mm Hg vs 76.7 ± 6.9 mm Hg, P = .86), or body weight (90.8 ± 17.5 kg vs 91.8 ± 17.1 kg, P = .92). No outcomes differed (P > .05) between eggs and Egg Beaters.

Conclusions

We found no evidence of adverse effects of daily egg ingestion on any cardiac risk factors in adults with CAD over a span of 6 weeks.

Reference

David L. Katz, Joseph Gnanaraj, Judith A. Treu, Yingying Ma, Yasemin Kavak, Valentine Yanchou Njike. 2014, Effects of egg ingestion on endothelial function in adults with coronary artery disease: A randomized, controlled, crossover trial. American Heart Journal, Volume 169 (1) 162–169.

http://www.ahjonline.com/article/S0002-8703(14)00604-8/abstract