Influence of Diet and Stress on Cardiovascular risk stratification among adults visiting tertiary care hospital

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) remain the leading cause of global mortality, with India contributing significantly to the burden. Cardiometabolic risk arises from factors such as smoking, hypertension, dyslipidemia, obesity, inflammation, poor diet, inactivity, and stress, all of which interact to elevate cardiovascular risk. Stress, through dysregulation of the Hypothalamic Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) axis and increased allostatic load, contributes to metabolic disturbances, inflammation, and a higher risk of CVD and related disorders. Dietary habits, particularly high-sugar diets and atherogenic dyslipidemia in type 2 diabetes, further aggravate cardiovascular risk, highlighting the importance of healthy eating for prevention. Against this background, the present prospective cross-sectional study aims to evaluate how dietary habits and perceived stress together affect cardiovascular risk using the Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ), Perceived Stress Scale (PSS), Framingham Risk Score (FRS), lipid profile, fasting blood sugar, ECG, and ECHO in 256 adults aged 20–59 years. Participants will be recruited through voluntary participation of those visiting the Kasturba Hospital for routine health checkups at the Cardiology department based on inclusion and exclusion criteria, with voluntary consent, and data will be statistically analyzed using descriptive methods, correlation, and regression in JAMOVI software. The study justifies its importance in understanding the combined impact of diet and stress on cardiac health, thereby aiding in early prevention and targeted intervention strategies. Expected outcomes include identification of high-risk dietary and stress patterns, contributing to improved hospital-based nutrition and stress management programs, with ethical approval obtained and minimal risks beyond participant burden or psychological discomfort.