Daily Inclusion of Eggs in a Heart-Healthful Dietary Pattern in Hyperlipidemic Adults

This randomized, cross-over design, controlled trial will assess the effects of 8 weeks of daily inclusion of 2 whole eggs in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan, compared with their exclusion, on cardio-metabolic risk markers and diet quality in hyperlipidemic adults.

This randomized, cross-over design, controlled trial will assess the effects of 8 weeks of daily inclusion of 2 whole eggs in the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) eating plan, compared with their exclusion, on cardio-metabolic risk markers, and diet quality in hyperlipidemic adults. Participants will be randomized to receive 1 of 2 treatment sequence permutations (i.e., DASH eating plan with eggs and DASH eating plan without eggs), with an 8-week washout period between treatment assignments. After randomization, participants will undergo a 4-week run-in period of a DASH eating plan without egg products before initiating the first of 2 treatment phases in their randomly-assigned sequence permutation.

Specific Aims

1. To assess the effects of the inclusion of 2 whole eggs/day for 8 weeks in a DASH eating plan, as compared with their exclusion, on endothelial function measured as flow-mediated dilatation and on LDL cholesterol in hyperlipidemic adults.
2. To determine the effects of the inclusion of 2 whole eggs/day in the context of a DASH eating plan, as compared with their exclusion, on cardio-metabolic risk factors and diet quality in adults with hyperlipidemia over a period of 8 weeks.

Eligibility Criteria:
Inclusion Criteria:

1. Men \>18 years of age
2. Post-menopausal women not currently on hormone replacement therapy
3. Non-smokers
4. Overweight/obese (i.e., 25kg/m² ≤ BMI ≤ 40kg/m² and weight \<350pounds)
5. Total cholesterol of 240-300 mg/dl and /or LDL cholesterol of 130-190 mg/dl, and/or a total cholesterol to HDL ratio of \>5.7

Exclusion Criteria:

1. Failure to meet inclusion criteria
2. Anticipated inability to complete study protocol for any reason
3. Allergy to eggs
4. Current eating disorder
5. Restricted diets by choice that do not permit ingestion of eggs (e.g., vegan)
6. Unstable use of lipid-lowering or antihypertensive medications (i.e., change in dose during the three months prior to enrollment) and/or unwilling to refrain from taking medication for 12 hours prior to endothelial function scanning
7. Use of insulin, glucose-sensitizing medication, or vasoactive medication (including glucocorticoids, antineoplastic agents, some psychoactive agents, or bronchodilators)
8. Unstable use of antidepressant medications (i.e., change in dose during the three months prior to enrollment)
9. Regular use of high doses of vitamin E (\>400IU/day) or vitamin C (\>500mg/day); fish oil, flaxseed oil, omega-3 fatty acid and/or fiber supplements, unless willing to discontinue supplementation for the study duration
10. Diagnosed diabetes
11. Diagnosed sleep apnea; unless treated and have been stable with their medications for at least 3 months
12. Established cardiovascular disease (including symptomatic coronary artery disease (CAD), myocardial infarction, peripheral vascular disease, congestive heart failure, carotid stenosis)
13. Coagulopathy, known bleeding diathesis, or history of clinically significant hemorrhage; current use of warfarin or other regular use of anticoagulation
14. Substance abuse (chronic alcoholism, other chemical dependency)
15. Any unstable medical condition that would limit the ability of a subject to participate fully in the trial (e.g., cancer, AIDS, tuberculosis, psychotic disorder)
16. Conditions requiring regular use of NSAID medications such as Advil, naproxen, ibuprofen (examples of condition include lupus and rheumatoid arthritis)
17. For women: Use of hormone replacement therapy