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The Mediterranean-style dietary pattern and mortality among men and women with cardiovascular disease

Esther Lopez-Garcia1, Fernando Rodriguez-Artalejo, Tricia Y Li

  • 1Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Madrid, Spain (EL-G and FR-A); CIBER of Epidemiology and Public Health (EL-G and FR-A) and the Departments of Nutrition (TYL, TTF, SL, WCW, EBR, and FBH) and Epidemiology (WCW, EBR, and FBH), Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA; the Channing Division of Network Medicine, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA (TYL, WCW, EBR, and FBH); and the Programs in Nutrition, Simmons College, Boston, MA (TTF).

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition
|November 1, 2013
PubMed

Insights

Adhering to the Alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMED) score is linked to reduced all-cause mortality in individuals with prior cardiovascular disease (CVD). This dietary pattern shows a significant association with lower mortality rates, emphasizing its cardioprotective benefits.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiovascular Disease Research
  • Nutritional Epidemiology
  • Preventive Cardiology

Background:

  • The impact of the Mediterranean diet on individuals with established cardiovascular disease (CVD) remains unclear.
  • Previous research has not definitively established the role of specific dietary patterns in long-term outcomes for CVD patients.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the association between adherence to the Alternate Mediterranean Diet (aMED) score and mortality from all causes, cardiovascular disease, and cancer.
  • To investigate these associations in large cohorts of men and women with a history of cardiovascular events.

Main Methods:

  • Inclusion of 6137 men and 11,278 women with diagnosed CVD (myocardial infarction, stroke, angina, or revascularization procedures).
  • Dietary intake assessed using food-frequency questionnaires (FFQs) starting in 1980/1986 and updated regularly.
  • Cumulative dietary consumption calculated from CVD diagnosis to 2008, analyzed with multivariable Cox regression models.

Main Results:

  • Over a median follow-up of 5.8-7.7 years, 1982 male and 1468 female deaths occurred.
  • Higher adherence to the aMED score was associated with a 19% reduction in all-cause mortality (RR: 0.81; P-trend < 0.001).
  • A 2-point increase in aMED score correlated with a 7% decrease in total mortality risk (95% CI: 3%, 11%).

Conclusions:

  • Adherence to a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern is associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality among individuals with a history of cardiovascular disease.
  • The findings support the integration of Mediterranean dietary principles into lifestyle recommendations for CVD patients.
Abstract

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