Following a Mediterranean-type diet shown to be inversely associated with the clustering of cardiovascular risk factors among high-risk patients
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Although it is well established that a Mediterranean-type food pattern (MeDiet) has beneficial effects on cardiovascular risk factors, this effect is less well documented in high-risk patients. To estimate the association between adherence to MeDiet and the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors, 3204 asymptomatic high-risk patients were assessed by their primary care physician to ascertain the prevalence of diet-related cardiovascular risk factors such as diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia or obesity using standard diagnostic criteria. Furthermore, each participant was interviewed by a dietician to obtain a 14-point score measuring the degree of adherence to a Mediterranean diet. Data analysis revealed that adherence to such a diet was inversely associated both with individual risk factors and with their clustering. The multivariate odds ratio to present simultaneously the four above-mentioned risk factors for those above the median value of the MeDiet was 0.67. Adherence to a Mediterranean-type diet was inversely associated with the clustering of major cardiovascular risk factors (hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and hypercholesterolaemia) among high-risk patients.
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