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Favorable Association Between a Mediterranean Dietary Pattern and Cardiovascular Risk Factors in Patients with Stable Coronary Heart Disease in the STABILITY Study

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Introduction: A ‘Mediterranean’ dietary (MD) pattern has been associated with lower cardiovascular mortality, but the reasons for benefit are uncertain. Hypothesis: Greater adherence to a MD pattern is associated with more favorable cardiovascular risk factors. Methods: Associations between a MD pattern and cardiovascular risk factors were evaluated at the baseline assessment in 15,482 (97.8%) patients with chronic coronary heart disease from 39 countries who participated in the STabilisation of Atherosclerotic plaque By Initiation of darapLadIb TherapY (STABILITY) trial. From a food frequency questionnaire a Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) was calculated by assigning points for more consumption of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, legumes, fish and alcohol, and for less consumption of meat (0 to 4 points in each food category). Cardiovascular risk factors at baseline are reported by approximate quartiles of MDS. Results: See table. For all risk factors p was <0.0001 for differences by MDS group. Conclusions: In a global population of patients with stable CHD greater adherence to a MD pattern was associated with less obesity, less hypertension, improved glucose tolerance and less inflammatio
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