The Protective Effect of the Mediterranean Diet: Focus on Cancer and Cardiovascular Risk

People with cardiovascular risk have more depression than the general population. Depression and cardiovascular risk have been commonly linked to lower sense of coherence (SOC) values, unhealthy lifestyles, and poor sleep quality. The aim of this study was to analyze the association between depression, health-related lifestyles, sleep quality, and SOC in a population with cardiovascular risk. A cross-sectional study was conducted in 310 participants (aged 35–75 years) with cardiovascular risk. Sociodemographic and anthropometric characteristics, cardiovascular risk, SOC score, depression levels, sleep quality, and lifestyles (physical activity, diet quality (measured as the adherence to the Mediterranean diet), and tobacco and alcohol consumption) were determined. The regression analysis showed significant associations between depression levels and sex (odds ratio (OR): 2.29; 95% CI: 1.29, 4.07), diet (OR: 0.85; 95% CI: 0.73, 0.99), body mass index (BMI) (OR: 1.06; 95% CI: 1.01, 1.12), cardiovascular disease (CVD) (OR: 2.55; 95% CI: 1.18, 5.48), sleep quality (OR: 0.26; 95% CI: 0.15, 0.46), and SOC (OR: 0.96; 95% CI: 0.94, 0.98). Protective effects of male sex, a lower BMI, no CVD, a higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet, a high sleep quality, and a higher SOC were found. In conclusion, among lifestyles determined, only diet was associated with depression levels. SOC and sleep quality were also found as significant predictors for depression levels.

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The Mediterranean diet protects against waist circumference enlargement in 12Ala carriers for the PPARγ gene: 2 years' follow-up of 774 subjects at high cardiovascular risk

British Journal Of Nutrition ◽

10.1017/s0007114509289008 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 102 (5) ◽

pp. 672-679 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Cristina Razquin ◽

J. Alfredo Martinez ◽

Miguel A. Martinez-Gonzalez ◽

Dolores Corella ◽

José Manuel Santos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Risk ◽

Waist Circumference ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Nutritional Intervention ◽

Control Group ◽

Diabetic Patients ◽

High Cardiovascular Risk ◽

Pro12ala Polymorphism ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Pparγ Gene

The PPARγ gene regulates insulin sensitivity and adipogenesis. The Pro12Ala polymorphism of this gene has been related to fat accumulation. Our aim was to analyse the effects of a 2-year nutritional intervention with Mediterranean-style diets on adiposity in high-cardiovascular risk patients depending on the Pro12Ala polymorphism of the PPARγ gene. The population consisted of a substudy (774 high-risk subjects aged 55–80 years) of the Prevención con Dieta Mediterránea (PREDIMED) randomised trial aimed at assessing the effect of the Mediterranean diet for CVD prevention. There were three nutritional intervention groups: two of them of a Mediterranean-style diet and the third was a control group advised to follow a conventional low-fat diet. All the participants were genotyped by PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). The results showed that carriers of the 12Ala allele allocated to the control group had a statistically significant higher change in waist circumference (adjusted difference coefficient = 2·37 cm; P = 0·014) compared with wild-type subjects after 2 years of nutritional intervention. This adverse effect was not observed among 12Ala carriers allocated to both Mediterranean diet groups. In diabetic patients a statistically significant interaction between Mediterranean diet and the 12Ala allele regarding waist circumference change was observed ( − 5·85 cm; P = 0·003). In conclusion, the Mediterranean diet seems to be able to reduce waist circumference in a high-cardiovascular risk population, reversing the negative effect that the 12Ala allele carriers of the PPARγ gene appeared to have. The beneficial effect of this dietary pattern seems to be higher among type 2 diabetic subjects.

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Influence of physical activity, the Mediterranean diet and sociodemographic variables on the values of different cardiovascular risk scales

Mediterranean Journal of Nutrition and Metabolism ◽

10.3233/mnm-211537 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 1-11

Author(s):

Pere Riutord Sbert ◽

Ángel Arturo López González ◽

Bartomeu Riutord Fe ◽

Neus Riutord Fe ◽

Sebastiana Arroyo Bote ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Physical Activity ◽

Cardiovascular Risk ◽

Social Class ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Tobacco Consumption ◽

Cross Sectional ◽

Sociodemographic Variables ◽

Mean Values ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Physical Activity Adherence

INTRODUCTION: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) continues to be one of the main causes of morbidity and mortality in the world. There are several risk factors for CVD, many of which are preventable, including sedentary lifestyles and poor diet. OBJECTIVE: To assess the influence of physical activity, adherence to the Mediterranean diet and sociodemographic variables such as age, sex and social class on the values of different cardiovascular risk scales. METHODS: A descriptive, cross-sectional study in 1584 Spanish workers in which the influence of different sociodemographic variables (age, sex, social class) and healthy habits (tobacco consumption, physical activity assessed with the IPAQ questionnaire, and adherence to the Mediterranean diet) on the values of different cardiovascular risk (CVR) scales (REGICOR, SCORE, DORICA, ERICE, heart age, and vascular age) was assessed. RESULTS: All the CVR scales showed better mean values as the level of physical activity increased, something similar occurring with the prevalence of altered values, in both sexes. High adherence to the Mediterranean diet also improved the mean values and prevalence of altered values in men and women. CONCLUSION: The Mediterranean diet and physical exercise decrease the probability of suffering a cardiovascular event and improve all the CVR scales analyzed in this study.

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Adherence to the “Mediterranean Diet” in Spain and Its Relationship with Cardiovascular Risk (DIMERICA Study)

Nutrients ◽

10.3390/nu8110680 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 8 (11) ◽

pp. 680 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

José Abellán Alemán ◽

María Zafrilla Rentero ◽

Silvia Montoro-García ◽

Juana Mulero ◽

Alfonso Pérez Garrido ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Risk ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

The Mediterranean

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122 MODULATION BY THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET OF THE ASSOCIATIONS BETWEEN RAPGEF1 AND NEGR1 POLYMORPHISMS AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN A HIGH CARDIOVASCULAR RISK MEDITERRANEAN POPULATION

Journal of Hypertension ◽

10.1097/01.hjh.0000419946.47688.ee ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 30 ◽

pp. e37-e38

Author(s):

D Godoy ◽

JV Sorlí ◽

O Coltell ◽

O Portolés ◽

C Ortega-Azorín ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Blood Pressure ◽

Cardiovascular Risk ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Mediterranean Population ◽

High Cardiovascular Risk ◽

The Mediterranean

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A protective effect of the Mediterranean diet for cutaneous melanoma

International Journal of Epidemiology ◽

10.1093/ije/dyn132 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 37 (5) ◽

pp. 1018-1029 ◽

Cited By ~ 63

Author(s):

C Fortes ◽

S Mastroeni ◽

F Melchi ◽

M A Pilla ◽

G Antonelli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Protective Effect ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Cutaneous Melanoma ◽

The Mediterranean

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The effect of the adoption of the Mediterranean diet on clinical and biochemical markers related to cardiovascular risk: the ATTICA study

Journal of the American College of Cardiology ◽

10.1016/s0735-1097(02)81136-6 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 39 ◽

pp. 254

Author(s):

Christos Pitsavos ◽

Christine Chrysohoou ◽

Demosthenes Panagiotakos ◽

John Skoumas ◽

Marina Toutouza ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Cardiovascular Risk ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Biochemical Markers ◽

The Mediterranean

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Mediterranean diet in the treatment of metabolic syndrome: nutritional therapy and life perspective

International Journal of Nutrology ◽

10.54448/ijn2138 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 14 (3) ◽

Author(s):

Danilo Everton Cunha Cavalcante ◽

Alexandre Carli Pinto ◽

Etianne Andrade Araújo ◽

Francione Moreira Cabral ◽

Jhonatas Mota Santos ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Metabolic Syndrome ◽

Cardiovascular Risk ◽

Mediterranean Diet ◽

Nutritional Therapy ◽

Current Evidence ◽

Nutritional Interventions ◽

The Metabolic Syndrome ◽

The Mediterranean ◽

Underlying Mechanisms ◽

Nutritional Benefits

Metabolic syndrome is the association of chronic diseases related to diet and physical activity. Also recognized as a complex entity that associates well-established cardiovascular risk factors, such as high blood pressure, hypercholesterolemia, and diabetes, among others, such as central fat deposition and insulin resistance. Currently, Metabolic Syndrome has gained worrisome dimensions within clinical practice, becoming one of the greatest challenges at the beginning of this century. In contrast, the Mediterranean diet recognized for its combination of tasty taste and nutritional benefits, in addition to its culture of the link between health and longevity, is a strategy in the treatment of the metabolic syndrome. Although there is no consensus on the most adequate nutritional strategy to treat Metabolic Syndrome (MS), in such a way that there is a reduction in cardiovascular risk, recent studies show the effectiveness of adopting healthy lifestyles capable of reversing this trend. To address the role of diet in MS treatment, with the main focus on the interaction of benefits of different nutritional interventions in MS remission, contributing to the integration of current evidence in the pre-existing context. In view of the studies carried out in this research, it was found that the Mediterranean diet has shown benefits in the secondary prevention of this syndrome, although the underlying mechanisms are not completely clear. In this sense, it is important to revitalize and apply this diet in the future in terms of preventive and therapeutic guidelines.

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