Impact of a Mediterranean-Inspired Diet on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide. This study focused on evaluating the impact of a Mediterranean-type diet combined with physical exercise on CVD risk factors of high-risk individuals. A randomized clinical trial (RCT) recruited individuals (≥50 years old) with no history of acute myocardial infarction, but with high CVD risk criteria according to the SCORE2/SCORE2 OP. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks of diet and exercise intervention. Participants were randomly assigned into 3 groups: no intervention group (Group 1a), physical exercise group (Group 1b), and physical exercise (±2 h/week) plus diet group (Group 2). Briefly, the dietary intervention was based on the principles of an isocaloric Mediterranean diet (MD), with seven main meals/week centered on plant-based foods (legumes and pulses). The combined effect of exercise and the diet showed significant decrease in WC (p = 0.002), BST (p < 0.001), visceral fat (p < 0.001), and TG (p = 0.029), compared with control groups. The intervention significantly increased legume intake (p < 0.001), as well as adherence to the MD, which associates with WC decrease (p = 0.024) and visceral fat (p = 0.017). A combined intervention of exercise and diet should be endorsed as an efficient modifier of cardiometabolic parameters.

Keywords: cardiovascular risk factors; mediterranean diet; planetarian diet; randomized clinical trial; visceral fat; waist circumference.

Figure 1

Flow chart of participant recruitment and allocation.