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Table 5 Analysis of participant’s comments

From: Responses to a GP survey: current controversies in diet and cardiovascular disease

Topic of comments

Number of comments

Questions comments related to

One good representative example of comments from this category

General value of diet in cardiovascular health.

10

Q1 and final comment

Even if it has less effect on lipids than the statin, diet is still important in other areas of cardiovascular health.

Trans fatty acids an important risk factor.

7

Qs 3, 4, 5 and final comment

Excess saturated fat, cholesterol and trans-fats all increase the risk of CVD.

Refined sugar an important risk factor

7

Qs 4, 7 and final comments

Complex carbohydrates have a beneficial effect and refined sugar the opposite.

HDL/cholesterol ratio is the best guide

6

Q3

Both HDL and LDL are equally relevant. The ratio between them is important.

References to diet and metabolic syndrome

5

Qs 6, 7 and final comments

Carbohydrates are negative in that they contribute to the metabolic syndrome and DM

Low GI diet is beneficial

3

Q7

A high GI diet has been shown to be a risk factor for CVD

Sugar can be converted to fat

3

Q7

High intake of refined sugar leads to dyslipidaemia with sugar converted to fat

GPs need more nutrition knowledge

3

Final comments

I wish we doctors had more access to education related to nutrition

Advise patients to eat more plant foods

2

Q4

The main source of fats should be plant rather than animal derived.

High homocysteine is a risk factor for CVD

1

Final comments

Excess protein in the diet is an important risk factor, especially excess methionine from cheese. It leads to high homocysteine levels.

VLDL cholesterol is an important risk factor

1

Q3

LDL is more important than HDL but VLDL cholesterol is even more so.

Role of omega-3 in preventing CVD deaths

1

Q2

Omega 3 is anti-thrombotic and anti-arrhythmic. Synthetic supplements have been disappointing.