Confirmed: Mediterranean diet helps heart patients live longer, healthier lives
Following the Mediterranean diet is associated with significant benefits for patients who have been diagnosed with cardiovascular disease (CVD), according to a new meta-analysis published in Nutrition.[1] It reduces the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events, for example, as well as the risk of all-cause mortality.
The Mediterranean diet, named after the traditional eating habits of Greece and Italy, focuses on whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and olive oil. It primarily focuses on plant-based options, but permits fish, seafood, poultry and dairy products to be eaten occasionally.
“Healthy diets can substantially contribute to reduce CVD mortality and morbidity,” wrote first author Roberto Volpe MD, AMS, PhD, a researcher with the National Research Council of Italy, and colleagues. “In this regard, there are many and important studies on the benefits of the Mediterranean diet in the primary prevention of CVD. In particular, studies have shown that adherence to Mediterranean diet is associated with reduced mortality and morbidity from CVD. On the contrary, in patients affected by CVD, there are still uncertainties regarding the protective effects of the Mediterranean diet.”
Volpe et al. focused on data from more than 91,000 adults who participated in one of 19 different studies. All studies were designed to focus on how the Mediterranean diet may benefit patients with an established diagnosis of CVD.
Reviewing these data, the group found that following the Mediterranean diet was consistently associated with a reduced major adverse cardiovascular event (MACE) rate and a lower all-cause mortality rate. Blood pressure measurements and lipid profiles did not significantly change, but this dramatic impact on MACE and mortality rates remained crystal clear.
Overall, the group noted, these findings “underscore the relevance of the Mediterranean diet as a non-pharmacological strategy or the prevention of further CVD.”
“The consistent association between higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet and reduced risk of MACE and all-cause mortality, even if modest in magnitude, is particularly significant in populations already affected by CVD, where the burden of disease and the potential for recurrent events are high,” the authors wrote. “Given its favorable safety profile, cultural acceptability, and compatibility with long-term adherence, the Mediterranean diet represents a feasible and scalable intervention for both individual counseling and population-level strategies. Unlike pharmacological treatments, dietary interventions such as Mediterranean diet offer the potential for broad health co-benefits, including improvements in metabolic health, quality of life and environmental sustainability.”
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Michael has more than 19 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.