Researchers analyzed many existing studies to see if following a Mediterranean diet helps people who already have heart disease. They looked at data from over 91,000 participants across different types of research, including observational studies and clinical trials. The Mediterranean diet emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, olive oil, nuts, and fish.
The main finding was that people who followed this diet more closely had a lower risk of having another serious heart problem or dying from heart disease. The reduction in risk was seen in both the long-term observational studies and the shorter clinical trials. However, the analysis did not find that the diet significantly improved common health markers like blood pressure, cholesterol levels, or body weight in this group.
No safety issues with the diet were reported in the review. The main reason to be careful is that this is a summary of other studies, not a new experiment. It shows a strong and consistent link, but other lifestyle factors could also play a role. The certainty of the evidence varied for different outcomes. For people with heart disease, this adds support to existing health advice about healthy eating patterns, but it's best to discuss any major dietary changes with a doctor.
