CHICAGO, March 11, 2019 /PRNewswire/ -- People with a
college education are nearly seven times more likely to adhere to a
Mediterranean Diet than people with only a high school education,
according to research in The Journal of the American Osteopathic
Association.
The study also found women are three times more likely than men
to follow the Mediterranean diet and people familiar with the diet
are four times more likely to adhere to it than those who were
not.
"Our findings highlight the importance of patient education,"
says researcher Benjamin Greiner,
OMS III, MPH, medical student at Oklahoma
State University College of Osteopathic Medicine. "Finding
ways to introduce patients to the Mediterranean diet and guide them
through the behavior change process should be a priority for
physicians."
The Mediterranean diet, part of a category known as heart
healthy diets, emphasizes increased intake of poultry, fish,
legumes, fruits, vegetables, nuts and whole grains. It also
decreases red meat, processed foods and salt.
Researchers say one of the greatest benefits of heart healthy
diets is a reduced risk of cardio vascular disease and cardiac
events. One study found people who consume a Mediterranean diet
were 30 percent less likely to experience a major cardiac event
than those on a reduced fat diet.
Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in
the United States and has an
annual direct economic impact of $272.5
billion. The total costs associated with CVD care comprise
17 percent of the overall national health care expenditures.
Given this finding, researchers said it is concerning that less
than one-third of the study participants were familiar with heart
healthy diets. Physician practices with interdisciplinary teams
that include nutritionists can be very effective in educating
patients about nutrition, researchers noted.
"The good news is this is not an expensive or complicated diet,
so patients with limited resources should be able to follow it and
significantly improve their health," Greiner says. "While
physicians can't change the level of formal education their
patients achieve, they can provide crucial information that helps
them live longer and healthier."
About The Journal of the American Osteopathic
Association
The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association
(JAOA) is the official scientific publication of the
American Osteopathic Association. Edited by Robert Orenstein, DO, it is the premier
scholarly peer-reviewed publication of the osteopathic medical
profession. The JAOA's mission is to advance medicine
through the publication of peer-reviewed osteopathic research.
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SOURCE American Osteopathic Association