MEDITERRANEAN DIET AND SECONDARY PREVENTION OF CVD


Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos, Ph.D., Harokopio University, Athens, Greece

Adherence to a healthy dietary pattern, such as the Mediterranean diet, exerts a beneficial role regarding the development of coronary heart disease. In addition, several studies support the protective role of the Mediterranean diet as far as secondary prevention of CVD is concerned. This review, examining results from prospective cohort and cross-sectional studies, as well as clinical trials, aims to clarify whether the beneficial effect of the Mediterranean dietary pattern on secondary prevention of CVD is due to the impact of this diet on weight loss and obesity status or an independent effect. Although not all studies show a protective effect of the Mediterranean diet on body weight and obesity, the evidence suggests a possible mediating beneficial role of obesity regarding this dietary pattern on secondary CVD prevention.