Cost-effectiveness of Mediterranean diet and physical activity in secondary cardiovascular disease prevention: results from the UCC-SMART cohort study

[Cardiovascular prevention in Saxony-Anhalt : Necessity and new perspectives]

Cardiovascular risk factors (high blood pressure, smoking, overweight, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, physical inactivity) substantially rise with increasing age, particularly after middle age, whereby women are affected to a much greater extent. In the population of Saxony-Anhalt the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors is clearly increased and the population structure in Saxony-Anhalt is particularly characterized by a high average age as well as high morbidity and mortality rates due to cardiovascular diseases. Saxony-Anhalt therefore provides a model character for the demographic development in Europe. This review article discusses strategies for the implementation of target group-specific cardiovascular preventive strategies in the Federal State of Saxony-Anhalt with special consideration of age and sex. When preventive medicine facilities are established and innovative treatment possibilities for patients with cardiovascular risks are created, prevention should also become available in rural areas.

Impact of a Mediterranean-Inspired Diet on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors: A Randomized Clinical Trial

Cardiovascular diseases (CVDs) are the leading cause of death worldwide. This study focused on evaluating the impact of a Mediterranean-type diet combined with physical exercise on CVD risk factors of high-risk individuals. A randomized clinical trial (RCT) recruited individuals (≥50 years old) with no history of acute myocardial infarction, but with high CVD risk criteria according to the SCORE2/SCORE2 OP. Anthropometric and biochemical parameters were assessed at baseline and after 12 weeks of diet and exercise intervention. Participants were randomly assigned into 3 groups: no intervention group (Group 1a), physical exercise group (Group 1b), and physical exercise (±2 h/week) plus diet group (Group 2). Briefly, the dietary intervention was based on the principles of an isocaloric Mediterranean diet (MD), with seven main meals/week centered on plant-based foods (legumes and pulses). The combined effect of exercise and the diet showed significant decrease in WC (p = 0.002), BST (p < 0.001), visceral fat (p < 0.001), and TG (p = 0.029), compared with control groups. The intervention significantly increased legume intake (p < 0.001), as well as adherence to the MD, which associates with WC decrease (p = 0.024) and visceral fat (p = 0.017). A combined intervention of exercise and diet should be endorsed as an efficient modifier of cardiometabolic parameters.