The favorable effect of the Mediterranean per diem expenses in the prevention of myocardial infarction and cerebral thrombosis, which the researchers of the randomized essay PREDIMED made public last February, now extends to the prevention of diabetes subject 2.

This group of Spanish researchers at network, coordinated by Prof. Miguel Ángel Martínez-González, Full Professor of Preventive Medicine at the University of Navarra, has just published in the Annals of Internal Medicine a clinical essay with 3,541 men and women aged 55 to 80 years and at high cardiovascular risk, all of them initially free of diabetes. In the study, in which the Rovira Virgili University of Reus has also participated prominently, it was found that a dietary intervention for promote adherence to the Mediterranean per diem expenses (rich in virgin olive oil, nuts, vegetables, fruits, fish, red wine and legumes, but restricted in red meat and sugary desserts) resulted in a relative reduction of 30% in the risk of developing diabetes. This risk reduction was observed when combining the two groups assigned to per diem expenses Mediterranean, and comparing them against the control group receiving advice to follow a per diem expenses leave in fat.

The results are a confirmation of previously published results from essay PREDIMED (Prevention with per diem expenses Mediterranean) that first appeared a few months ago in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Risk reduction of up to 40%.
Participants were randomly assigned to three possible diets: per diem expenses Mediterranean supplemented with extra virgin olive oil, per diem expenses Mediterranean supplemented with nuts, or a control per diem expenses (advice on per diem expenses leave in fat). The intervention program included quarterly personal interviews with dietitians, in addition to quarterly group sessions. This program was maintained from average for more than 4 years. Neither hypocaloric diets nor any physical exercise program was used.

Effectiveness was superior in the group receiving extra-virgin olive oil, with a statistically significant 40% risk reduction; the group receiving nuts had an 18% reduction.

According to Martínez-González, senior author of article, "we knew that diabetes could be prevented by acting intensively on lifestyle through weight loss programs (reduction of the total calories ingested issue ) and the promotion of physical exercise, but this is the first time that a randomized essay demonstrates that it is also possible to do so by changing the dietary patron saint alone, without calorie reduction, weight loss or physical exercise goals". "Moreover," he adds, "this is possible in older people.

The results confirm programs of study previously published by another Spanish study, also led by Prof. Martínez-González using data from the SUN study (Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra), an observational cohort of university graduates. In these graduates a better follow-up of the per diem expenses Mediterranean was strongly associated with a reduced risk of diabetes.