Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) is associated with obesity and, indirectly, with unhealthy diet. The role of dietary components in HFpEF is, however, largely unknown. In this study, the authors showed that in obese HFpEF patients, consumption of unsaturated fatty acids (UFA), was associated with better cardiorespiratory fitness, and UFA consumption correlated with better diastolic function and with greater fat-free mass. Similarly, mice fed with a high-fat diet rich in UFA and low in sugars had preserved myocardial function and reduced weight gain. Randomized clinical trials increasing dietary UFA consumption and reducing sugar consumption are warranted to confirm and expand our findings.
Keywords: CPX, cardiopulmonary exercise testing; CRF, cardiorespiratory fitness; CV, cardiovascular; DT, deceleration time; FFM, fat-free mass; FM, fat mass; HF, heart failure; HFpEF, heart failure with preserved ejection fraction; IQR, interquartile range; MUFA, monounsaturated fatty acid; PUFA, polyunsaturated fatty acid; SFA, saturated fatty acid; UFA, unsaturated fatty acid; Vo2, oxygen consumption; body composition; diet; heart failure with preserved ejection fraction; obesity; unsaturated fatty acids.