Dietary Patterns and Cardiovascular Risk: Are the Mediterranean Diet, the Heart-Healthy Diet, and Phytochemicals Associated with Lower Cardiovascular Risks?

Background: Dietary pattern may be one of the determinants of cardiovascular health. This study aimed to examine the relationship between a heart-healthy diet, the phytochemical content of a diet, and Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular disease (CVD) risks.

Methods: This study was conducted with healthy volunteers (n=1446) from Turkey between August 2022 and September 2022. As risk assessment systems to determine CVD risks, SCORE (Systematic Coronary Risk Evaluation) and ASCVD (Atherosclerotic Cardiovascular Disease) were used. We utilized MEDFICTS (Meats, Eggs, Dairy, Fried foods, Fat in Baked Goods, Convenience Foods, Fats Added at the Table, and Snacks) to establish the suitability of the current diet for heart health, and MEDAS (Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener) to examine the Mediterranean diet characteristics of the current diet. The phytochemical content of the diet was determined using the Phytochemical Index method developed by McCarty.

Results: The lifetime and 10-year risk scores of SCORE and ASCVD were positively correlated with the MEDFICTS score (r=0.12, <0.001; r=0.06, =0.020; r=0.10, =0.001, respectively). Mediterranean diet characteristics were correlated with lower CVD risk as per the SCORE categories (r=-0.07, =0.009). A one-unit increase in MEDFICTS scores increased high-to-very high CVD risk and 10-year moderate-to-high CVD risk by 1.01 times, while a one-unit increase in the Mediterranean diet score decreased high-to-very high CVD risk and 10-year moderate-to-high CVD risk by 0.91 times and 0.95 times, respectively. In addition, high values of body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, waist-height ratio, and neck circumference were associated with higher CVD risk (<0.001).

Conclusion: Adopting a Mediterranean diet and a heart-healthy diet may be a good strategy to reduce CVD risks.