Ekavi N Georgousopoulou, Duane D Mellor, Nenad Naumovski, Evangelos Polychronopoulos, Stefanos Tyrovolas, Suzanne Piscopo, Giuseppe Valacchi, Foteini Anastasiou, Akis Zeimbekis, Vassiliki Bountziouka, Efthimios Gotsis, George Metallinos, Dimitra Tyrovola, Alexandra Foscolou, Josep-Antoni Tur, Antonia-Leda Matalas, Christos Lionis, Labros Sidossis, Demosthenes Panagiotakos
BACKGROUND: Adherence to a Mediterranean dietary pattern is a well-established protective factor against cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, diet quality is only one aspect of the overall healthy lifestyle adopted by Mediterranean populations. The latter has never been evaluated as a multi-factorial composite lifestyle. Thus, the aim of the present study was to provide a broader picture of the Mediterranean lifestyle and its effects on CVD risk, among elderly individuals. METHODS: During 2005-2015, 2,749 older (aged 65-100 years) from 21 Mediterranean islands (MEDIS) and the rural Mani region (Peloponnesus) of Greece were voluntarily enrolled onto the study...
April 2017: Cardiovascular Diagnosis and Therapy