A healthy quality Mediterranean-like diet partially modifies the association between obesity and cardiovascular mortality, according to a new study published this week in PLOS Medicine by Karl Michaëlsson of Uppsala University, Sweden, and colleagues.
Higher body mass (BMI) accounted for 4.0 million deaths globally in 2015 and more than two-thirds of those deaths were due to cardiovascular disease (CVD). Studies have suggested that other factors, including healthy dietary patterns, might modify the higher risk of CVD associated with higher BMI. In the new study, researchers studied BMI, diet and mortality among 79,003 Swedish adults enrolled in the Swedish Mammography Cohort and Cohort of Swedish Men. Adherence to a Mediterranean-like diet (mMED) was assessed on a scale of 0 to 8, integrating information on intake of fruits and vegetables, legumes, nuts, unrefined or high-fiber…
