There are a variety diets that have become a global sensation, but there are very few that have been even remotely as popular as the Mediterranean diet, a diet that focuses primarily on consuming, nuts, greens and healthy oils. There are many variations of the diet too like the Indo-Mediterranean diet, wherein, most of your diet comprises of nuts, oils and greens, but once in a while you are allowed to have a bit of fish and poultry too. A significant number of western diets have grown are known to cause oxidative damage and poor heart health, Mediterranean diet is renowned for its anti-inflammatory properties.
A study published in The Open Inflammation Journal, shed light on the impact of Indo-Mediterranean diet on pre-heart failure. Experiencing a state of myocardial dysfunction, these people are at high risk of suffering from a complete [/topic/heart-failure]heart failure.Pre-[/topic/heart-failure]heart failure is characterised with changes in cardiac muscles that are known as remodelling which may help to keep the blood pumping, but the ventricular walls may eventually weaken and are not able to pump adequate blood to the circulatory system resulting into chronic [/topic/heart-failure]heart failure.
Since the rate heart-failure in developed and developing countries is on a rise, it is important to find out new risk factors and methods for identification of [/topic/heart-failure]heart failure in the early stage of pre-[/topic/heart-failure]heart failure. In this analysis, the researchers re-examine, the role of nutritional factors as unmet needs in the pathogenesis and management of [/topic/heart-failure]heart failure.
For the observational study, researchers included data from three randomized, controlled single-blind trials, published earlier. The intervention and control groups were compared for behavioural risk factors, food intakes, fatty acid intake and on the ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acid(PUFA)/flavonoid intake respectively in the two groups (n = 1446 vs 1320).
The analysis revealed that the effects of Indo-Mediterranean style foods on parameters of pre-[/topic/heart-failure]heart failure and [/topic/heart-failure]heart failure and arrhythmias were significantly lower in the intervention group compared to the control group. At baseline, all the parameters of [/topic/heart-failure]heart failure showed no significant differences, between the intervention and control group.
However, after a follow up of two years, left ventricular strain (Odds Ratio 0.57 (P < 0.01), left ventricular hypertrophy (OD 0.69, CI 0.64 - 0.75, P < 0.01), as well as, NYHA class II-IV [/topic/heart-failure]heart failure (OR 0.59, P < 0.05) were significantly lower in the intervention group compared to control group. Incidence of cardiac arrhythmias was also significantly lower in the intervention group compared to the control group (OR 0.49; P < 0.01).
Treatments in patients following Indo-Mediterranean diet could yield more beneficial results, the researchers said owing to the anti-inflammatory effects of such diets, and reduced stress on heart.
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