title: Mediterranean diet and cardiovascular risk factors: a systematic review.
abstract: The aim of this paper was to systematically review and analyze the epidemiological evidence on the role of Mediterranean diet (MD) in the prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Fifty-eight studies exploring the relation between MD and lipoprotein concentration, antioxidative capacity and inflammatory markers, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome, were identified and selected. These included 33 cross-sectional, 9 cohort, and 16 intervention studies. Most of the studies showed favorable effects of MD on CVD, although a certain degree of controversy remains in the respect of some issues, as obesity. Important methodological differences and limitations in the studies make difficult to compare results, thus further studies, particularly randomized clinical trials, are needed to finally substantiate the benefits of MD and to shed some lights on mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: a Department "G. F. Ingrassia," Section of Hygiene and Public Health , University of Catania , Catania , Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Grosso
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Mistretta
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Frigiola
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gruttadauria
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Biondi
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Basile
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Vitaglione
authors.forename: Nicolantonio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: D'Orazio
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Galvano
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control*; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D006801:Humans; D024821:Metabolic Syndrome / Q000517:prevention & control; D009765:Obesity / Q000517:prevention & control; D064887:Observational Studies as Topic; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers