The best part of the Mediterranean diet is that it successfully satisfies both chefs and health experts around the world. With plentiful vegetables, fruit, nuts and grains, garlic and herb seasonings, use of olive oil and, of course, good wine, the diet offers plenty of inspiration for any food lover. But did you know that other than helping you stay in shape, this diet may also help you in keeping your heart healthy? Yes, that's right! If the findings of a recent study are to be believed, statins -- a class of drugs often prescribed by doctors to help lower cholesterol levels in the blood -- are more effective for those who follow the Mediterranean diet. The findings of the Italian study have been published in the International Journal of Cardiology.
"We found that statins and Mediterranean Diet together were more effective, as compared to one or the other considered separately, in reducing the risk of cardiovascular mortality. Likely, a Mediterranean diet facilitated the beneficial effect of statins, that in our real-life study were generally used at low doses," said Marialaura Bonaccio, first author of the study.
The researchers of the study also examined the potential underlying mechanisms of this positive interaction, so far poorly explored, between drugs and eating habits.
Licia Iacoviello further said, "The favourable combination of statins and Mediterranean Diet appeared to act, rather than on cholesterol levels, by reducing subclinical inflammation, a condition that predisposes to a higher risk of illness and mortality. This finding is of particular interest especially in the light of our observation that a high level of subclinical inflammation doubled the risk of mortality in patients who already had a heart attack or stroke."
Giovanni de Gaetano, director of the Department of Epidemiology and Prevention, concluded, "Our data suggest that we should focus more on the possible interactions between food and drugs, an aspect largely neglected in epidemiological research. Of course, controlled clinical trials will be needed to clarify these findings. If our data will be confirmed, new therapeutic possibilities could be designed for those who have already had a cardiovascular event, allowing a better modulation of the pharmacological intervention in relation to life habits. This is a new aspect of personalised medicine."