title: Mediterranean diet and non-fatal acute myocardial infarction: a case-control study from Italy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To add epidemiological data on the association of adherence to the Mediterranean diet with non-fatal acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in a Southern European population.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hospital-based case-control study. Conformity to the traditional Mediterranean diet was assessed through a score (i.e. the Mediterranean diet score, MDS) based on nine dietary components (high consumption of vegetables, legumes, fruit and nuts, cereals, and fish and seafood; high ratio of monounsaturated to saturated lipids; low consumption of dairy and meat; and moderate alcohol consumption). The score ranged between 0 (lowest adherence) and 9 (highest adherence). The association of the MDS, or its components, with the risk of AMI was evaluated through multiple logistic regression models, controlling for potential confounding variables.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study was conducted in the greater Milan area (Italy) between 1995 and 2003.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven hundred and sixty patients with a first episode of non-fatal AMI and 682 controls.
  
  
  RESULTS
  High consumption of vegetables and legumes were inversely associated with non-fatal AMI risk. As compared with MDS<4, the OR of non-fatal AMI were 0.85 (95 % CI 0.65, 1.12) for MDS of 4-5 and 0.55 (95 % CI 0.40, 0.75) for MDS ≥ 6, with a trend in risk (P<0.01). Results were consistent in strata of selected risk factors and an apparently stronger association emerged for individuals with a lower BMI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The Mediterranean diet is inversely associated with the risk of non-fatal AMI in this Southern European population.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Epidemiology,IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche 'Mario Negri',Via La Masa 19,20156 Milan,Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Turati
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Epidemiology,IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche 'Mario Negri',Via La Masa 19,20156 Milan,Italy.
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pelucchi
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Epidemiology,IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche 'Mario Negri',Via La Masa 19,20156 Milan,Italy.
authors.forename: Carlotta
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Galeone
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Epidemiology,IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche 'Mario Negri',Via La Masa 19,20156 Milan,Italy.
authors.forename: Delphine
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Praud
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Epidemiology,IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche 'Mario Negri',Via La Masa 19,20156 Milan,Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tavani
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Epidemiology,IRCCS - Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche 'Mario Negri',Via La Masa 19,20156 Milan,Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: La Vecchia
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004034:Diet Surveys / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology*; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012306:Risk; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Diet