Bonaccio M, et al. – Potential socioeconomic disparities in the Mediterranean diet (MD)–induced cardiovascular benefits were needed to be explored. In this current study, a link between MD and lower cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk, only confined to higher socioeconomic groups, was reported. Among groups with similar MD adherence, the persistence of diet–related disparities across socioeconomic groups was evident. These nutritional gaps may reasonably explain at least in part the socioeconomic pattern of CVD protection from the MD.

Methods

• This study entails a prospective analysis on 18991 men and women aged ≥35 years from the general population of the Moli-sani cohort (Italy).
• Using the Mediterranean diet score (MDS), adherence to MD was appraised.
• Household income (euros/year) and educational level were used as indicators of socioeconomic status.
• Additionally, multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HR).

Results

• Data reported occurrence of 252 cardiovascular disease (CVD) events over 4.3 years of follow-up.
• Findings demonstrated that, overall, a two-point increase in MDS was associated with 15% reduced CVD risk (95% confidence interval: 1% to 27%).
• Researchers noted that such association was evident in highly (HR = 0.43; 0.25–0.72) but not in less (HR = 0.94; 0.78–1.14) educated subjects (P for interaction = 0.042).
• Similarly, they observed that CVD advantages associated with the MD were confined to the high household income group (HR = 0.39; 0.23–0.66, and HR = 1.01; 0.79–1.29 for high- and low-income groups, respectively; P for interaction = 0.0098).
• Data also highlighted that in a subgroup of individuals of different socioeconomic status but sharing similar MDS, diet-related disparities were found as different intakes of antioxidants and polyphenols, fatty acids, micronutrients, dietary antioxidant capacity, dietary diversity, organic vegetables and whole grain bread consumption.