PLoS Med: The Mediterranean diet may reduce the risk of relapse in heart disease patients

December 7, 2020 // -- Heart disease is the leading cause of death in people in developed countries, and there is research evidence that lifestyle-related factors, such as diet, may have an impact on the occurrence and development of such diseases, so do they also affect people who are already sick? In a recent study published in the international journal PLoS Medicine, scientists from the University of Cordois and others compared the effects of two different healthy eating methods on the endotrial tissue of the body's arterial walls.
Photo Source: In the Maimonides Biomedical Research Institute of Cordoba (IMIBIC) study, researchers recruited 1,002 patients who had not previously suffered from acute myocardial infarction and followed them for more than a year;
the extent of endocute damage may help predict future cardiovascular events in the body, such as acute myocardial infarction.
if researchers can take early action to improve the regeneration of the endoeskin and the function of endothy tissue, it may be effective in preventing heart attacks and relapses.
During the study, half of the patients were told to follow a Mediterranean diet based on large amounts of virgin olive oil, daily intake of fruits and vegetables, three servings of beans a week, three servings of fish and three servings of nuts, and participants were told to eat as little meat as possible, especially red meat, and avoid extra fats such as margarine and high-sugar foods.
In contrast, another group of participants was asked to follow a low-fat diet, which limits all types of fat (including animals and plants) and increases complex carbohydrate intake, while the group was also told to reduce red meat intake and choose low-fat dairy products to avoid nuts and sweets and pastries. First, the
researchers analyzed the ability of the patient's arteries to dilate blood vessels, which are important for adapting to different environments, such as exercise or stress conditions, and second, they assessed the extent of permanent endoter damage to the participants' bodies, and finally, they measured the repair ability of endotential ancestral cells or stem cells. 'We have observed that the Mediterranean diet pattern induces better arterial endotyskin function, which means that arteries are more flexible in adapting to different conditions that require greater blood flow, and that endotrhea regeneration is better, and even in patients at serious risk, damage to the endotress of the body's arteries is significantly reduced,' explained
researcher Jose López Miranda.
mediterranean diet, which is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, may be a good strategy to help improve endoskin function in patients with excess or high cholesterol levels, the researchers concluded.
study is also the first time scientists have revealed the benefits of the Mediterranean diet in heart disease patients, which can help reduce the likelihood and risk of a heart attack.
() Original source: Elena M. Yubero-Serrano, Fernandez-Gandara, Antonio Garcia-Rios, et al. Mediterranean diet and endothelial function in patients with coronary heart disease: An analysis of the CORDIOPREV randomized controlled trial, PLOS Medicine (2020). DOI:10.1371/journal.pmed.1003282。