Role of fibre and fruit in the Mediterranean diet to protect against myocardial infarction: a case-control study in spain

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition 2002-08, Vol.56 (8), p.715-722
• Main Authors: MARTINEZ-GONZALEZ, M. A, FERNANDEZ-JARNE, E, MARTINEZ-LOSA, E, PRADO-SANTAMARIA, M, BRUGAROLAS-BRUFAU, C, SERRANO-MARTINEZ, M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Biological and medical sciences; Cardiology. Vascular system; Case studies; Case-Control Studies; Clinical nutrition; Confidence intervals; Coronary heart disease; Diet; Diet Surveys; Dietary fiber; Dietary Fiber - administration & dosage; Dietary intake; Female; Food; Food intake; Fruit; Fruits; Heart; Heart attacks; Human physiology applied to population studies and life conditions. Human ecophysiology; Humans; Legumes; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Myocardial infarction; Myocardial Infarction - epidemiology; Myocardial Infarction - prevention & control; Myocarditis. Cardiomyopathies; Nutritional survey. Food supply and nutritional requirement; Odds Ratio; Prevention; Risk Factors; Risk management; Risk reduction; Spain - epidemiology; Surveys and Questionnaires
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1601382

To assess the association between a first acute myocardial infarction and the consumption of fibre and fruit. Hospital-based case-control study with incident cases. A validated semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire (136 items) was used to assess food intake. Three third-level university hospitals in Pamplona (Spain). Cases were subjects aged under 80, newly diagnosed with acute myocardial infarction. Each case patient (n=171) was matched to a control subject of the same gender and age (5 y bands) admitted to the same hospital. An inverse association was apparent for the three upper quintiles of fibre intake. After adjustment for non-dietary and dietary confounders, an inverse linear trend was clearly significant, showing the highest relative reduction of risk (86%) for the fifth quintile (OR=0.14, 95% confidence interval: 0.03-0.67). An inverse association was also apparent for fruit intake, but not for vegetables or legumes. Our data suggest that a substantial part of the postulated benefits of the Mediterranean diet on coronary risk might be attributed to a high intake of fibre and fruit.