The differential effects of changes in individual macronutrient intake on changes in lipid concentrations during childhood: From the Ewha Birth & Growth Cohort.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: High carbohydrate or fat intake is responsible for abnormal lipid concentrations in adults, but few studies of children have been reported. Using data from a Korean children's cohort study, we assessed the association between macronutrient intake and lipid profile with a longitudinal association during a 4-year follow-up.

METHODS: Using 2 days of 24-h dietary data obtained at 3 (n = 323) and 7 (n = 292) years old from the Ewha Birth & Growth Cohort, we calculated changes (n = 103) in macronutrient intake in terms of energy-adjusted intake and percent total energy for nutrients. Changes in lipid profiles (TC: total cholesterol, TG: triglyceride, HDL-c: high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, LDL-c: low-density lipoprotein cholesterol) are the primary outcomes in this study. The effects of individual changes in macronutrient intake on changes in lipid profiles over time were assessed using multiple regression analyses.

RESULTS: The percentages of total energy from carbohydrates and fat were 59.1% and 27.4% at baseline, respectively. Those in the highest tertile of carbohydrate intake showed the highest mean TG and lowest mean TC and HDL-c levels, regardless of observation time. By contrast, those with the highest fat intake indicated the lowest mean TG and highest mean TC and HDL-c at 7 years old. In addition, increased intake of carbohydrates had an unfavorable effect on TG, while increased intake of fat, especially animal-based fat, increased LDL-c levels over time.

CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that a relatively high intake of carbohydrate or fat among children had an unfavorable effect on lipid concentrations based on a longitudinal approach.