Skip to main content

Mediterranean Diet Aids Cardiovascular Health Measures in Children, Teens

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on July 24, 2024.

By Lori Solomon HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, July 24, 2024 -- Mediterranean diet (MedDiet)-based interventions aid some cardiovascular health measures among children and adolescents, according to a review published online July 12 in JAMA Network Open.

José Francisco López-Gil, Ph.D., from Universidad de Las Américas in Quito, Ecuador, and colleagues conducted a systematic literature review to assess the effects of MedDiet-based interventions on biomarkers of cardiometabolic health among children and adolescents.

Based on data from nine randomized controlled trials (577 participants; mean age, 11 years), the researchers found that MedDiet-based interventions were significantly associated with reductions in systolic blood pressure (mean difference, −4.75 mm Hg), triglycerides (mean difference, −16.42 mg/dL), total cholesterol (mean difference, −9.06 mg/dL), and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mean difference, −10.48 mg/dL), as well as increases in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (mean difference, 2.24 mg/dL), compared to the control group. There were no significant associations seen for other biomarkers studied, including diastolic blood pressure, glucose, insulin, or homeostatic model assessment for insulin resistance.

"These findings highlight the relevance of Mediterranean diet–based interventions as a useful tool to optimize cardiometabolic health in children and adolescents," the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2024 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Adiposity in Adulthood Linked to Adverse Cardiac Structure, Function

WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2024 -- Higher adiposity over adulthood is associated with adverse cardiac structure and function, according to a study published online July 16 in the...

Active Commuters Have Lower Risks for Morbidity, Mortality

WEDNESDAY, July 17, 2024 -- Active commuters who cycle or walk to work have lower risks for morbidity and mortality, according to a study published online July 16 in BMJ Public...

Obesity Modifies Link Between Birth Weight, Metabolic Phenotypes

TUESDAY, July 16, 2024 -- Associations between lower birth weight (BW) and adverse metabolic phenotypes are more pronounced in children with obesity, according to a study...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.