Association of Fructose Enriched Foods with Metabolic Syndrome and Cardiovascular Diseases

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the major causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide as well as in the Indian subcontinent, causing more than 25% of deaths. It has been predicted that these diseases will increase rapidly in India, making it a host to more than half the cases of heart disease in the world within the next 15 years. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that in the year 2005 CVDs caused 17.5 million (30%) of the 58 million deaths that occurred worldwide. In the recent times, the association of metabolic syndrome (MS) is strongly linked with CVDs. MS is defined as a constellation of metabolic disorders in an individual. The main components of MS are dyslipidemia (higher triglyceride, low-density lipoproteins [LDL] and low high-density lipoproteins [HDL]), elevated blood pressure (BP), dysregulated glucose homeostasis, abdominal obesity and insulin resistance. Being one of the most widespread diseases in the world, almost half of the population of specific age groups in developed countries is affected by it. Studies have shown that the independent risk factors associated with MS increase the likelihood of CVDs. It has been postulated that excess intake of fructose promotes cell dysfunction, inflammation, intra-abdominal (visceral) adiposity, atherogenic dyslipidemia, weight gain, insulin resistance, hypertension thereby aggravating the chances for developing MS, type 2 diabetes and coronary heart disease.