Pizza and risk of acute myocardial infarction.
OBJECTIVE
Pizza eating has been favourably related to the risk of cardiovascular disease, but the data are limited. To evaluate the potential role of pizza consumption on the risk of acute myocardial infarction (AMI), we considered data from an Italian study.


METHODS
We conducted a hospital-based case-control study on 507 cases of nonfatal AMI and 478 controls in Milan, Italy, between 1995 and 1999.


RESULTS
The multivariate odds ratios were 0.78 for occasional, 0.62 for regular and 0.44 for frequent eaters. The estimates were similar across strata of age, sex, smoking and other major covariates.


CONCLUSIONS
Some of the ingredients of pizza have been shown to have a favourable influence on the risk of cardiovascular disease. However, there is no single explanation for the present findings. Pizza may in fact represent a general indicator of Italian diet, that has been shown to have potential cardiovascular benefits.
Gallus
S
S
Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche "Mario Negri", Milan, Italy. gallus@marionegri.it
Tavani
A
A
La Vecchia
C
C
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002611:Cheese; D004032:Diet; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D018551:Solanum lycopersicum; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000209:etiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D000069463:Olive Oil; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking / Q000009:adverse effects
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D000069463:Olive Oil; D010938:Plant Oils