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This week on the Olive Health Information System website
The newsletter of the University of Navarra and the IOC dedicated to health
Observational and clinical trials have consistently shown that following a Mediterranean diet —particularly one enriched with extra-virgin olive oil—is associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular events. Short-term interventions have also demonstrated beneficial effects on several blood lipid measures. However, evidence on the long-term effects remains limited, especially among older adults at high cardiovascular risk.
A recently published analysis of the PREDIMED randomized trial examined the relationship between long-term adherence to the Mediterranean diet and lipid profiles in 4,954 adults aged 60–80 years who were at high cardiovascular risk. Participants who followed the Mediterranean diet more closely had lower triglyceride concentrations than those with lower adherence. This association was particularly strong among individuals taking triglyceride-lowering medication. Greater adherence was also associated with higher levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), a lower ratio of low-density to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C/HDL-C), and a reduced risk of dyslipidemia. Among participants whose adherence was low at the beginning of the study—defined as a score below eight points—each one-point increase in the adherence score was associated with a 48–91% lower risk of dyslipidemia. These findings build on previous short-term studies and suggest that the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet on lipid metabolism may be maintained over longer periods.
Beyond its potential effects on blood lipids, the Mediterranean diet may also influence cerebrovascular health. A recent cohort study explored the association between Mediterranean-style dietary patterns and cerebrovascular markers in 713 older adults living independently in the community. Researchers assessed adherence to the Mediterranean–Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay (MIND) diet using a food-frequency questionnaire. They also used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate several indicators of brain health, including cerebral arteriolosclerosis, white matter hyperintensities, and total brain volume. Participants who followed the MIND diet more closely showed less evidence of cerebral arteriolosclerosis, lower volumes of white matter hyperintensities, and greater total brain volume, even after accounting for several potential confounding factors. The relationship between greater adherence and better overall cognitive function was partly explained by differences in cerebral arteriolosclerosis and total brain volume. These findings suggest that greater adherence to the MIND diet is associated with a lower burden of cerebrovascular abnormalities and more favorable markers of brain health.
Other articles mentioned this week in the OHIS newsletter:
Olive fruit
Isolation and Antibacterial Properties of Actinomycetes From Yellow Olive Tree (Olea europaea)
Olive oil
Mediterranean diet
Mental health
MIND diet, cerebrovascular health, and cognition among community-dwelling older adults
Dietary patterns
The relationship between dietary patterns and neuroinflammation
