A year of a supported Mediterranean diet slightly lowered systolic pressure
Among people who completed the year and had valid data, systolic pressure fell modestly. Diastolic pressure showed no firm difference.
The key idea
After a year of a supported Mediterranean diet, systolic pressure was slightly lower among people with valid final-analysis data. Other measures showed no firm difference.
The study, in plain language
Following a diet also depends on the support received. In a trial called NU-AGE, people aged 65 to 79 at five European centers were randomized: some received personalized guidance and food to adopt a Mediterranean pattern adapted to this stage of life, while others followed their country’s nutrition guidelines.
After a year, among people with data for the final analysis, systolic pressure was modestly lower with the intervention. Diastolic pressure showed no firm difference. In a smaller group at one center, one measure of arterial stiffness improved and another did not clearly change. Results varied by which aspect of pressure or arteries was measured, and stiffness was measured in only some participants. A sex-specific analysis found a favorable systolic difference among men but not women. Participants were not blinded to assignment.
What they found
- Support for following the Mediterranean pattern included personalized guidance and food.
- Among people with valid data at one year, systolic pressure was modestly lower than in the comparison group.
- Diastolic pressure showed no firm difference. In a subgroup, one arterial-stiffness measure improved and another did not.
Something to think about
When a diet works in a study, how much is due to the food and how much to the support for following it? Here, support included guidance and food, not just a list.
How they studied it
People aged 65 to 79 at five European centers were randomized for 12 months: some received individual guidance and food, others their country’s nutrition guidelines. Blood pressure was measured in 1,294 people at baseline. 1,142 completed and 1,128 were included in the analysis. Arterial stiffness was assessed in 225 people at one U.K. center.
What the study cannot show
- Pressure and other heart and artery measures were not the study’s primary outcomes. Arterial stiffness was measured at one center only. Blood-pressure devices and how closely each person followed the diet also varied.
- The trial does not show that the diet prevents heart attacks or deaths, or improves every measure of pressure and arterial stiffness. Results apply to the healthy older adults who took part and may not apply to others.
The original study
Mediterranean-Style Diet Improves Systolic Blood Pressure and Arterial Stiffness in Older Adults: Results of a 1-Year European Multi-Center Trial
Source under CC BY 4.0. English adaptation and explanation by PaperFlow, with AI assistance. The text has been reorganized for a general audience; it is not the complete paper and does not imply endorsement by its authors.
One study alone does not represent a field's consensus. Educational content does not replace professional advice. Report a possible error.
