The health benefits of following a Mediterranean-style diet is something I have written about many times with regards prevention of certain conditions, especially heart conditions. A new study (1) has found that following a traditional Mediterranean-style diet can also help patients with existing heart disease to stay healthy and possibly prevent future adverse heart problems.
A traditional Mediterranean style of eating includes plentiful amounts of vegetables, fruits, nuts/seeds, olive oil, legumes (beans and peas), wholegrains, fish (including oily fish such as salmon, trout, sardines and mackerel) and low-fat dairy products. The study (1) investigated the potential benefits of following such an eating pattern for individuals who already had diagnosed heart disease (had suffered a heart attack or severe chest pain). The researchers looked at 1,000 patients who had suffered a heart attack or severe chest pain while at rest or with light exertion. Each individual was given a score for their diet on a scale of 0-55, depending on how closely their current eating style matched the traditional Mediterranean ideal.
Almost 50% of the patients involved in the study experienced a second heart-related adverse health event within two years after their original hospital discharge. The individuals who had diets which most closely matched the Mediterranean-style diet had a 31% lower risk of suffering another heart attack or experiencing severe chest pain during the first month after they were discharged from the hospital compared to those patients whose diet was least closely matched to the Mediterranean diet (1). These individuals with the high Mediterranean diet score were also only half as likely as those with the least Mediterranean-style eating habits to have another heart-related event within a year, and nearly 40% less likely to experience repeat heart problems within two years after initial hospital discharge (1).
The researchers analysed the data and found that for every additional point on the 0-55 point scale of the Mediterranean diet score an individual’s risk of having another heart-related event over the next two years fell by around 12%. Those patients with diets which were closest to the Mediterranean ideal were also the least likely to experience reductions in the ability of the heart’s main pumping chamber to work at full capacity, as well as harmful structural changes to the heart (cardiac remodelling) (1).
The researchers wanted to see if they could elucidate whether any particular component of the Mediterranean eating pattern was most important. When they analysed separate components of the Mediterranean diet, they found that vegetables, salad and nuts seemed to be the foods associated to reduced risk. Individuals who ate vegetables, salad or nuts daily or weekly had an apparent 20% lower risk of repeat heart problems within two years of their initial hospitalization compared to people who ate these foods monthly or less often (1).
The study is only an association study and does not prove that a Mediterranean style diet can prevent further hear problems in individuals who have experienced prior adverse heart events. However, the study does add to the evidence that healthy eating has an important role to play in health protection strategies.
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(1)Chrysohoou C et al. 2010. The Mediterranean diet contributes to the preservation of left ventricular systolic function and to the long-term favorable prognosis of patients who have had an acute coronary event. Am J Clin Nutr (May 19, 2010 E-pub prior to print). doi:10.3945/ajcn.2009.2898
Written by Ani Kowal
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