Is Mediterranean diet associated with severe asthma control? A multi-center cross-sectional study in Greece

Lifestyle choices may affect the pathogenesis and/or clinical expression of asthma. Certain dietary habits such as the Mediterranean diet (MD), possibly through pro-inflammatory effects may be implicated.

To assess the association between adherence to MD and asthma control in severe asthmatics.

During the period between March 2022 and 2023, patients with severe asthma from 16 pulmonary centers all over Greece were recruited. Adherence to MD was assessed through a short interviewer-administered questionnaire, the MD Adherence Screener, previously validated in Mediterranean populations. The level of asthma control was assessed by the Asthma Control Test. A multiple logistic regression model was applied, adjusting for gender, age, body mass index, corticosteroid intake, comorbidities, and treatment.

The study sample included 315 severe asthmatics (30% males) with mean age 56.6 years (standard deviation, S.D. = 14.3 years). There is an indication, albeit not statistically significant, that higher adherence to MD was associated with better asthma control in patients with severe asthma (OR: 1.19, 95% CIs: 0.61, 2.34). Furthermore, controlling for the patients' personal characteristics and dietary habits, other diet related conditions and metabolic diseases, such as obesity or diabetes, were significantly associated with poorer asthma control.

In a cross-sectional study undertaken in a Mediterranean population, we observed a positive, but not statistically significant, association between higher adherence to MD and better asthma control in severe asthmatic patients. However, our findings are limited by the study design which does not allow us to infer causality and by the use of a screener to assess adherence to MD.