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Dietary intake in male and female smokers, ex-smokers, and never smokers: The INTERMAP Study

Journal of Human Hypertension volume 17, pages 641–654 (2003)Cite this article

Abstract

This report examines dietary intakes in smokers, ex-smokers, and never smokers in INTERMAP. The 4680 participants aged 40–59 years—from 17 population samples in four countries (China, Japan, UK, USA)—provided four 24-h recalls to assess nutrient intakes and two 24-h urine collections to assess excretion of urea, sodium (Na), potassium (K), etc. Compared to never smokers, current smokers generally consumed more energy from alcohol and saturated fats (SFA), less energy from vegetable protein and carbohydrates, less dietary fibre, vitamin E, beta carotene, vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, folate, vitamin B6, calcium, iron, phosphorus, magnesium (Mg), and K per 1000 kcal, excreted less K and urea (marker of dietary protein), had a lower ratio of polyunsaturated fat (PFA) to SFA intake, higher Keys dietary lipid score, and higher dietary and urinary Na/K. There were few differences between smokers and never smokers for total energy intake, energy from total and animal protein, monounsaturated fats, PFA, omega 3 and omega 6 PFA, dietary cholesterol, total vitamin A, retinol, vitamin D, vitamin B12, and urinary and dietary Na. Compared to ex-smokers, smokers generally consumed less energy from vegetable protein, omega 3 PFA, carbohydrates, less dietary fibre, beta carotene, vitamin E, vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, folate, vitamin B6, iron, phosphorus, Mg, had lower PFA/SFA, and excreted less urea and K. In conclusion, INTERMAP results are consistent with other reports indicating that smokers have less healthful diets than nonsmokers. Public health interventions in smokers should focus not only on helping them to quit smoking but also on improving their diets to further reduce cancer and cardiovascular disease risks.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by Grant 2-RO1-HL50490 from the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland; by the Chicago Health Research Foundation; and by national agencies in China, Japan (the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports, and Culture, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research [A], No. 090357003), and the UK.

It is a pleasure to express appreciation to the dietary interviewers, Site Nutritionists, and other INTERMAP staff at local, national, and international centres (a partial listing is given in reference 58 below).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Preventive Medicine, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA

    AR Dyer & J Stamler

  2. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, St Mary's Campus, Imperial College, London, UK

    P Elliott & Q Chan

  3. Department of Health Science, Shiga University of Medical Science, Otsu, Japan

    H Ueshima

  4. Department of Epidemiology, Fu Wai Hospital and Cardiovascular Institute, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China

    BF Zhou

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Dyer, A., Elliott, P., Stamler, J. et al. Dietary intake in male and female smokers, ex-smokers, and never smokers: The INTERMAP Study. J Hum Hypertens 17, 641–654 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.jhh.1001607

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