title: Fruit, vegetables, and olive oil and risk of coronary heart disease in Italian women: the EPICOR Study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Many observational studies support the recommendation to eat sufficient amounts of fruit and vegetables as part of a healthy diet.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The present study aimed to investigate the association between consumption of fruit, vegetables, and olive oil and the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD) in 29,689 women enrolled between 1993 and 1998 in 5 European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) cohorts in northern (Turin and Varese), central (Florence), and southern (Naples and Ragusa) Italy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Baseline dietary, anthropometric, and lifestyle characteristics were collected. Major events of CHD (fatal and nonfatal myocardial infarction and coronary revascularization) were identified through a review of clinical records. Analyses were stratified by center and adjusted for hypertension, smoking, education, menopause, physical activity, anthropometric measures, nonalcohol energy, alcohol, total meat, vegetables in analyses for fruit, and fruit in analyses for vegetables.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During a mean follow-up of 7.85 y, 144 major CHD events were identified. A strong reduction in CHD risk among women in the highest quartile of consumption of leafy vegetables (hazard ratio: 0.54; 95% CI: 0.33, 0.90; P for trend = 0.03) and olive oil (hazard ratio: 0.56; 95% CI: 0.31, 0.99; P for trend = 0.04) was found. In contrast, no association emerged between fruit consumption and CHD risk.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  An inverse association between increasing consumption of leafy vegetables and olive oil and CHD risk emerged in this large cohort of Italian women.
authors.affiliation: Molecular and Nutritional Epidemiology Unit, Cancer Research and Prevention Institute, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Benedetta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bendinelli
authors.forename: Giovanna
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Masala
authors.forename: Calogero
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Saieva
authors.forename: Simonetta
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Salvini
authors.forename: Carmela
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Calonico
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sacerdote
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Agnoli
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grioni
authors.forename: Graziella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Frasca
authors.forename: Amalia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mattiello
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chiodini
authors.forename: Rosario
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tumino
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vineis
authors.forename: Domenico
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Palli
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Panico
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005260:Female; D005638:Fruit; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D000069463:Olive Oil; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D014675:Vegetables
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D000069463:Olive Oil; D010938:Plant Oils