title: Mediterranean dietary pattern is associated with improved cardiac autonomic function among middle-aged men: a twin study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Reduced heart rate variability (HRV), a measure of cardiac autonomic dysfunction, is a risk factor for coronary artery disease. Diet can influence HRV, but this association may be confounded by genetic and environmental factors.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We administered the Willett Food Frequency Questionnaire to 276 middle-aged male twins. We derived a score measuring the extent to which an individual's diet conformed to the Mediterranean diet following a published algorithm. The higher the score, the greater the similarity to the Mediterranean diet. All twins underwent 24-hour ambulatory ECG recording. Time and frequency domain measures of HRV were calculated. Mixed-effects regression was used to partition the association into between- and within-twin pair differences. After adjusting for energy intake, other nutritional factors, shared genes, and common environment, a 1-unit higher score was significantly associated with 3.9% to 13% higher time and frequency domain HRV parameters. Further controlling for known cardiovascular risk factors and use of fish oil supplements and medications did not substantially change the estimates.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Mediterranean dietary pattern is associated with higher HRV.
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Health Science, School of Health, Physical Education, and Recreation, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN 47405, USA. jdai@indiana.edu
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dai
authors.forename: Rachel
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lampert
authors.forename: Peter W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Wilson
authors.forename: Jack
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Goldberg
authors.forename: Thomas R
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Ziegler
authors.forename: Viola
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vaccarino
mesh_terms: D001341:Autonomic Nervous System / Q000502:physiology; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D015986:Confounding Factors, Epidemiologic; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean / Q000523:psychology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009200:Myocardial Contraction; D010349:Patient Compliance; D020127:Recovery of Function; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires