Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Ligia J. Dominguez, Giovanna Di Bella, Nicola Veronese, Mario Barbagallo
Summary: In the past 150 years, the average life expectancy of the world population has significantly increased, with a focus on food combination patterns in nutrition research. The Mediterranean diet has been associated with numerous health benefits and is considered ecologically sustainable.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Elisa Mattavelli, Elena Olmastroni, Manuela Casula, Liliana Grigore, Fabio Pellegatta, Andrea Baragetti, Paolo Magni, Alberico L. Catapano
Summary: Recent epidemiological studies have shown a decrease in adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet). A prospective cohort study was conducted to evaluate changes in individual determinants of MedDiet adherence over time. The study reveals an overall decrease in MedDiet adherence, highlighting the need for better dietary interventions.
Article
Microbiology
Silke Rath, Katharina Rox, Sven Kleine Bardenhorst, Ulf Schminke, Marcus Doerr, Julia Mayerle, Fabian Frost, Markus M. Lerch, Andre Karch, Mark Broenstrup, Dietmar H. Pieper, Marius Vital
Summary: The gut microbiota-dependent metabolite trimethylamine-N-oxide (TMAO) is associated with an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases. While meat intake did not directly predict TMAO plasma levels, it was linked to TMA-forming bacteria. Additionally, advancing age was strongly associated with TMAO levels, demonstrating a functional role of gut microbiota in the aging process.
Article
Geriatrics & Gerontology
Sokratis Charisis, Eva Ntanasi, Mary Yannakoulia, Costas A. Anastasiou, Mary H. Kosmidis, Efthimios Dardiotis, Georgios Hadjigeorgiou, Paraskevi Sakka, Nikolaos Scarmeas
Summary: Higher adherence to Mediterranean diet was associated with a reduced risk for dementia and cognitive decline in a traditional Mediterranean population.
JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY
(2021)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Maria S. Hershey, Mercedes Sotos-Prieto, Miguel Ruiz-Canela, Costas A. Christophi, Steven Moffatt, Miguel Angel Martinez-Gonzalez, Stefanos N. Kales
Summary: The study found that adherence to traditional Mediterranean lifestyle habits, as measured by the MEDLIFE index, was associated with a lower prevalence of metabolic syndrome and a more favorable cardiometabolic profile in a non-Mediterranean working population.
CLINICAL NUTRITION
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Paula Silva, Maria Rodriguez-Perez, Emma Burgos-Ramos
Summary: This review explores the potential of a zebrafish model in investigating the antioxidant effects of olive oil and wine, which are key components of the Mediterranean diet, in preventing age-related diseases, particularly cardiovascular conditions. The review highlights the genetic proximity of zebrafish to humans, offering a unique opportunity for translational insights into the health benefits of olive oil and wine.
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Ana Laffond, Cristina Rivera-Picon, Pedro Manuel Rodriguez-Munoz, Raul Juarez-Vela, Regina Ruiz de Vinaspre-Hernandez, Noelia Navas-Echazarreta, Juan Luis Sanchez-Gonzalez
Summary: Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of mortality worldwide and the Mediterranean Diet (MD) may offer protection against them. Higher adherence to the MD is associated with reduced overall mortality and lower risk of CVDs. While gender differences exist, they may be influenced by lower cardiovascular risk profile in women.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Carissa Moroney, Fiona O'Leary, Victoria M. Flood
Summary: The study developed a short tool to test knowledge of Mediterranean diet related to cardiac health, showing good content validity and reliability in people with CVD. It is practical for use in clinical and research settings.
Review
Medicine, General & Internal
M. Guasch-Ferre, W. C. Willett
Summary: The Mediterranean diet has been found to have multiple health benefits, including improving cardiovascular health, reducing the incidence of diabetes, extending longevity, and lowering the risk of cognitive dysfunction and neurodegenerative disorders. Additionally, it has a relatively low environmental impact and could be a sustainable lifestyle model in various regions with appropriate variations.
JOURNAL OF INTERNAL MEDICINE
(2021)
Review
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Maria Carmen Andreo-Lopez, Victoria Contreras-Bolivar, Manuel Munoz-Torres, Beatriz Garcia-Fontana, Cristina Garcia-Fontana
Summary: The global population's life expectancy has increased, leading to challenges in an aging population. Aging is influenced by molecular mechanisms and the gut microbiota, which is affected by factors such as diet. The Mediterranean diet and its components provide evidence of its impact on healthy aging. This review analyzes the influence of the Mediterranean diet on molecular pathways and the microbiota associated with favorable aging patterns, as well as its potential as an anti-aging treatment.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Jiajia Li, Huirong Ding, Zheng Wang, Doa El-Ansary, Roger Adams, Jia Han, Shu Meng
Summary: The objective of this study was to translate and validate a Chinese version of the Mediterranean Diet Scale (MDS-Chinese) for use among Chinese participants with cardiovascular disease (CVD) or CVD risk. Results showed that the MDS-Chinese has acceptable reliability and validity, and can be used as a useful tool to monitor adherence to the Mediterranean diet in the Chinese population with CVD or at high risk of CVD. The establishment of the MDS-Chinese also provides a fundamental tool for diet-related CVD research in the Chinese population and may improve awareness of the importance of a healthy diet in CVD prevention and management.
FRONTIERS IN NUTRITION
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Clare Stradling, G. Neil Thomas, Karla Hemming, Stephen Taylor, Shahrad Taheri
Summary: The study demonstrated the feasibility of adopting a Mediterranean Portfolio diet in people living with HIV, which may lead to short-term improvements in diet quality, blood pressure, and LDL-cholesterol.
CLINICAL NUTRITION
(2021)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Maria Soledad Hershey, Chia-Rui Chang, Mercedes Sotos-Prieto, Alejandro Fernandez-Montero, Sean B. Cash, Costas A. Christophi, Sara C. Folta, Carolyn Muegge, Vanessa Kleinschmidt, Steven Moffatt, Dariush Mozaffarian, Stefanos N. Kales
Summary: In this study, a 12-month cluster randomized clinical trial was conducted to evaluate the effect of a Mediterranean nutrition intervention on individual firefighters. The results showed that implementing a Mediterranean diet intervention among firefighters can increase their adherence to the diet.
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Simona Esposito, Alessandro Gialluisi, Simona Costanzo, Augusto Di Castelnuovo, Emilia Ruggiero, Amalia De Curtis, Mariarosaria Persichillo, Chiara Cerletti, Maria Benedetta Donati, Giovanni de Gaetano, Licia Iacoviello, Marialaura Bonaccio
Summary: The study found that adhering to a traditional Mediterranean diet or DASH diet can delay biological aging, possibly due to their high polyphenol content. Other nutritional factors, such as dietary fiber, were not significantly associated with biological aging.
CLINICAL NUTRITION
(2022)
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Najwa Salim AlAufi, Yoke Mun Chan, Mostafa I. Waly, Yit Siew Chin, Barakatun-Nisak Mohd Yusof, Norliza Ahmad
Summary: Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) shows protective effects on cardiovascular disease (CVD) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), but faces challenges including lack of universal definition and scoring, and influences of nutritional transition.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Argyrios Ntalianis, Christina Chrysohoou, George Giannakoulas, Grigorios Giamouzis, Apostolos Karavidas, Aikaterini Naka, Constantinos H. Papadopoulos, Sotirios Patsilinakos, John Parissis, Dimitrios Tziakas, John Kanakakis
Summary: Despite high adherence to contemporary practice guidelines, short-term mortality and rehospitalization rates remain high for patients admitted for acute heart failure (AHF). Non-randomized studies support the use of evidence-based chronic heart failure medications during hospitalization to reduce morbidity and mortality. However, the implementation of sacubitril/valsartan during hospitalization is suboptimal due to various challenges, including a lack of integrated individualized plans and uncertainty about patient eligibility.
HEART FAILURE REVIEWS
(2022)
Letter
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Christos Chasikidis, Evangelos Oikonomou, George Lazaros, Evangelia Christoforatou, Georgia Vogiatzi, Christina Chrysohoou, Vasiliki Chara Mystakidi, Georgia Vavouranaki, Dimitris Tousoulis
HELLENIC JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
Ioannis Leontsinis, Vasilios Papademetriou, Christina Chrysohoou, Maria Kariori, Ioannis Dalakouras, Panayotis Tolis, Christos Fragoulis, Theodoros Kalos, Fotios-Panagiotis Tatakis, Kyriakos Dimitriadis, Michael Doumas, Helen Sambatakou, Maria Pirounaki, Constantinos Mihas, Niki Katsiki, Sonu Bhaskar, Georgios Tsivgoulis, Dimitrios Tousoulis, Konstantinos Tsioufis
Summary: This study investigated the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on emergency visits and admissions for uncontrolled hypertension. The results showed a decline in visits for hypertension urgencies during the rapid spread of the virus, which reversed after the decline in transmission rate. The study also found that the number of admissions for uncontrolled hypertension was related to the incidence of COVID-19 cases. The initial increase in admissions for uncontrolled hypertension may indicate blood pressure deregulation among the studied population.
ARCHIVES OF MEDICAL SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Psychology, Clinical
Christina Vassou, Ekavi N. Georgousopoulou, Mary Yannakoulia, Christina Chrysohoou, Charalabos Papageorgiou, Christos Pitsavos, Mark Cropley, Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the association between irrational beliefs and the 10-year incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among apparently healthy adults. The study found a positive association between irrational beliefs and CVD risk, which was influenced by educational status and dietary habits.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF BEHAVIORAL MEDICINE
(2023)
Article
Neurosciences
Christina Vassou, Christina Chrysohoou, John Skoumas, Ekavi N. Georgousopoulou, Mary Yannakoulia, Christos Pitsavos, Mark Cropley, Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos
Summary: This study investigated the bio-psychosocial mechanisms underlying the link between anxiety, depression, and cardiovascular disease risk. The results showed that individuals with high irrational beliefs and anxiety symptoms had a significantly higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Inflammation and oxidative stress partially mediated the association between irrational beliefs and anxiety.
ANXIETY STRESS AND COPING
(2023)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Rena Kosti, Thomas Tsiampalis, Matina Kouvari, Christina Chrysohoou, Ekavi Georgousopoulou, Christos S. Pitsavos, Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos
Summary: The consumption of at least 4 servings of vegetables per day was associated with a significantly reduced risk of developing type-2 diabetes, especially in women and women who consumed allium vegetables. This highlights the importance of promoting vegetable consumption when providing dietary recommendations.
JOURNAL OF HUMAN NUTRITION AND DIETETICS
(2023)
Letter
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Christodoulos Stefanadis, Christina Chrysohoou, Dimitrios Tsiachris, Christos-Konstantinos Antoniou, Panagiota Manolakou, Gerasimos Siasos, Konstantinos Tsioufis, George Panagiotakopoulos, Theoklis Zaoutis, Demosthenes Panagiotakos
HELLENIC JOURNAL OF CARDIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Michael Georgoulis, Christina Chrysohoou, Ekavi Georgousopoulou, Evangelia Damigou, Ioannis Skoumas, Christos Pitsavos, Demosthenes Panagiotakos
Summary: This study found that the impact of blood lipids on CVD risk varies according to several biological, lifestyle, and clinical parameters. TC and LDL-C were significant predictors of CVD risk in younger, normal-weight individuals not on lipid-lowering drugs. HDL-C and TG were significant predictors in older individuals, those with low adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and individuals with hypercholesterolemia.
LIPIDS IN HEALTH AND DISEASE
(2022)
Article
Nutrition & Dietetics
Matina Kouvari, Evangelia Damigou, Matilda Florentin, Rena Kosti, Christina Chrysohoou, Christos S. Pitsavos, Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos
Summary: This study aimed to explore the association between egg intake and 10-year risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and other cardiometabolic risk factors. The findings showed that moderate egg consumption was associated with a lower risk of CVD, but this association became non-significant when adjusted for total saturated fatty acid intake.
Article
Cardiac & Cardiovascular Systems
Agnieszka Kaplon-Cieslicka, Lina Benson, Ovidiu G. Chioncel, Maria Crespo-Leiro, Andrew J. S. D. Coats, Stefan Anker, Frank Ruschitzka, Camilla Hage, Jaroslaw Drozdz, Petar Seferovic, Giuseppe M. C. Rosano, Massimo Piepoli, Alexandre Mebazaa, Theresa McDonagh, Mitja Lainscak, Gianluigi Savarese, Roberto Ferrari, Wilfried Mullens, Antoni P. Bayes-Genis, Aldo H. Maggioni, Lars Lund
Summary: This study comprehensively assessed the prevalence, associations, hospital course, and post-discharge outcomes of hyponatremia in acute heart failure (AHF). Of the patients hospitalized for AHF, 20% had hyponatremia. Independent predictors of hyponatremia included lower systolic blood pressure, estimated glomerular filtration rate, and hemoglobin level, as well as certain comorbidities and medications. In-hospital mortality rate was 3.3%.
EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HEART FAILURE
(2023)
Article
Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
Tzortzis Nomikos, Michael Georgoulis, Christina Chrysohoou, Evangelia Damigou, Fotios Barkas, Ioannis Skoumas, Evangelos Liberopoulos, Christos Pitsavos, Costas Tsioufis, Petros P. Sfikakis, Alexandros Tselepis, Demosthenes B. Panagiotakos
Summary: Accurate estimation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) is crucial for monitoring cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and guiding lipid-lowering therapy. This study found significant differences in estimated LDL-C levels among different equations, which may lead to underestimation and undertreatment of LDL-C. The Martin-Hopkins equation showed better predictive ability for CVD survival compared to the Friedewald and Sampson equations. Discordance of LDL-C levels was observed in 11% of the study population.
Review
Nutrition & Dietetics
Christina Chrysohoou, Christos Fragoulis, Ioannis Leontsinis, Ioannis Gastouniotis, Dimitra Fragouli, Maximos Georgopoulos, Emmanouil Mantzouranis, Marina Noutsou, Konstantinos P. Tsioufis
Summary: The mechanisms leading to the development of heart failure in diabetes mellitus patients are multifactorial. Assessing the risk of heart failure development in diabetic patients is valuable for identifying high-risk subgroups and defining low-risk subpopulations. Both imaging parameters and biomarkers are important tools for recognizing diabetic patients at risk of heart failure manifestation and arrhythmogenic risk, and for improving patients' outcomes utilizing drugs and non-pharmaceutical cardioprotective tools such as diet modification.
Article
Physiology
Elena Critselis, Thomas Tsiampalis, Evangelia Damigou, Ekavi Georgousopoulou, Fotios Barkas, Christina Chrysohoou, John Skoumas, Christos Pitsavos, Evangelos Liberopoulos, Costas Tsioufis, Petros P. Sfikakis, Demosthenes Panagiotakos
Summary: This study aimed to evaluate the association between total seafood and small fish intake and the incidence and mortality of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in healthy adults. The results showed that high seafood intake was associated with a lower risk of 10-year and 20-year mortality, while high small fish intake was associated with a lower risk of 10-year incidence and mortality of CVD, especially among low-risk normotensive individuals.
FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY
(2023)
Article
Biology
Evangelia Damigou, Matina Kouvari, Christina Chrysohoou, Fotios Barkas, Evrydiki Kravvariti, Christos Pitsavos, John Skoumas, Evangelinos Michelis, Evangelos Liberopoulos, Costas Tsioufis, Petros P. P. Sfikakis, Demosthenes B. B. Panagiotakos
Summary: This study aimed to assess the trajectories of lifestyle characteristics and their association with 20-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) incidence. The results showed that age, sex, abnormal waist circumference, hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, and diabetes were positively associated with 20-year CVD risk. Additionally, lifestyle trajectories, including being physically active throughout life-course and adhering to the Mediterranean diet, had a significant impact on CVD risk.
Article
Medicine, General & Internal
E. Gitsi, D. Panagiotakos, T. Tsiampalis, J. Skoumas, C. Chrysohoou, C. Pitsavos
Summary: The objective of this study was to examine the association between different types and intensity levels of exercise and the 10-year incidence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in a sample of adult men and women in the Attica region of Greece. The results showed that aerobic exercise had a protective role in reducing CVD risk in men. Specific forms of exercise, such as walking and team sports, also appeared to be significant in preventing CVD development. Moderate-intensity exercise was associated with a significant reduction in CVD morbidity and mortality in men. However, the majority of participants reported inadequate, low intensity levels of physical activity.
ARCHIVES OF HELLENIC MEDICINE
(2023)
