Abstract

Cardiovascular disease remains the leading cause of death in America impacting the lives of millions. There are many modifiable risk factors that may help in the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease such as coronary artery disease or congestive heart failure. Proper diet and healthy weight management is a crucial factor in preventing disease. Dieting is a large component of American living, and the low-carbohydrate high-protein diet remains the most common form of weight loss. This thesis will investigate different types of diets and eating habits that can affect risk of developing cardiovascular disease.
An apolipoprotein E-deficient mouse model was used to investigate different diets and how they may develop cardiovascular disease, more specifically, atherosclerosis in the aorta and altered mitochondrial functioning in the heart. The diet of interest for this project, was a low-carbohydrate high-protein diet. This diet promotes an environment that causes a shift in cellular metabolism due to macronutrient imbalances. Past research has yet to address a possible link between low-carbohydrate high-protein diets and atherosclerosis and vascular smooth muscle cells, and mitochondrial functioning. This thesis contains data that will be of interest to both clinicians and patients, in terms of safe dieting and the potential for cardiovascular risk.