The purpose of this study was to examine the association between the frequency of fruit and vegetable (F&V) intake and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk in never, former and current male smokers. This prospective study included 8,060 men aged 50-59 years from which 367 cases of acute coronary syndrome (ACS) and 612 CVD events were reported during the 10-year follow-up period. The analysis revealed a statistically significant relationship between F&V intake frequency and lower ACS and CVD rates in current smokers but not in former or never smokers. Moreover, the relationship between the frequency of F&V intake and the occurence of CVD was different in smokers and nonsmokers as indicated by a statistically significant interaction between smoking status and F&V intake. These data suggest that high F&V consumption could have a beneficial effect on the risk of CVD in male smokers.
Documentation centre