Plain language summary
There are multiple modifiable risk factors for cardiovascular disease (CVD), many of which are modifiable via changes in diet and physical activity. The aim of this study was to review the area of cardiovascular nutrition and provide recommendations for practitioners to help patients make healthy eating decisions. This review highlighted the complexities of nutrition. Thus, improving diet quality post-myocardial infarction is associated with a reduction in risk for all-cause mortality, with evidence to suggest it is the whole diet, rather than individual components, that drives this association. One of the dietary patterns mostly associated with cardiovascular health is the ‘Mediterranean’ diet. Various studies suggest that it is linked with lower all-cause mortality in both primary and secondary prevention of CVD. Additionally, the DASH diet is also associated with decreased incidence of stroke, CVD, coronary heart disease, diabetes, in addition to improvements in cardiovascular. Improvement in patients’ cardiovascular outcomes can result from providing patients with food-based advice. However, it is important that the health practitioners dispensing this information have an understanding of nutritional science and an appreciation for the patients’ comorbidities. Authors conclude that nutritional advice needs to be patient-focused, flexible, and should be adapted to each individual with CVD and their other comorbidities.
Abstract
Nutrition has a central role in both primary and secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease yet only relatively recently has food been regarded as a treatment, rather than as an adjunct to established medical and pharmacotherapy. As a field of research, nutrition science is constantly evolving making it difficult for patients and practitioners to ascertain best practice. This is compounded further by the inherent difficulties in performing double-blind randomised controlled trials. This paper covers dietary patterns that are associated with improved cardiovascular outcomes, including the Mediterranean Diet but also low-carbohydrate diets and the potential issues encountered with their implementation. We suggest there must be a refocus away from macronutrients and consideration of whole foods when advising individuals. This approach is fundamental to practice, as clinical guidelines have focused on macronutrients without necessarily considering their source, and ultimately people consume foods containing multiple nutrients. The inclusion of food-based recommendations aids the practitioner to help the patient make genuine and meaningful changes in their diet. We advocate that the cardioprotective diet constructed around the traditional Mediterranean eating pattern (based around vegetables and fruits, nuts, legumes, and unrefined cereals, with modest amounts of fish and shellfish, and fermented dairy products) is still important. However, there are other approaches that can be tried, including low-carbohydrate diets. We encourage practitioners to adopt a flexible dietary approach, being mindful of patient preferences and other comorbidities that may necessitate deviations away from established advice, and advocate for more dietitians in this field to guide the multi-professional team.
Methodological quality
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