(P41-06-26) Contributors to Inter-individual Variability in Low-density Lipoprotein Particle Concentration in Response to A Single Food Intervention

Objectives: Low-density lipoprotein particles (LDL‑P) are strongly associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. Understanding sources of inter-individual variability in LDL‑P response to dietary interventions may inform precision nutrition strategies for CVD risk reduction. The aim was to quantify variation in total LDL-P response to a single-food intervention attributable to the intervention and participant characteristics.

Methods: This is an exploratory analysis (n=786) of the Habitual Diet and Avocado Trial, a single-blind, parallel-arm, 26-week, multi-center randomized controlled trial in US adults with elevated waist circumference (male ≥40 in; female ≥35 in). Participants were provided with one avocado per day to incorporate into their usual diet or instructed to continue their usual diet while limiting avocado intake to ≤2 per month. Fasting plasma samples collected at baseline and 26 weeks were analyzed by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to quantify total LDL-P. Multiple linear regression was conducted to determine the coefficient estimate (β, nmol/L) and the relative contribution (partial R², %) of the intervention and baseline participant characteristics to the variance in total LDL-P at 26 weeks.

Results: In this analytical sample (74% female, age 51±14 y, BMI 32.9±5.4 kg/m²), predictors explained 59.4% of the variability in total LDL-P at 26 weeks (adjusted R²=0.594; p<0.001), including study site (0.68%), intervention (0.43%), and participant characteristics (58.3%). Of the measured variance explained by participant characteristics (58.3%), baseline LDL-P (57.7%), BMI (0.36%), and the dietary fatty acid ratio (0.22%), were all significant predictors of variability in LDL-P at 26 weeks. Participant age, sex, race/ethnicity, smoking, and physical activity did not explain any variation in LDL-P. The intervention lowered total LDL-P (β, −49.1 nmol/L, 95% CI: −81.6, −16.7; p=0.003) compared to the control arm at week 26.

Conclusions: Participant characteristics, particularly baseline LDL-P, accounted for a majority of inter-individual variation in total LDL-P concentration. Although the intervention contributed to minimal variation in LDL‑P, the coefficient estimate suggests that the LDL-P-lowering effect in response to the intervention was consistent across all participants.

Funding Sources: Avocado Nutrition Center