April 23, 2026Journal of the American College of Cardiology
Adherence to the Mediterranean diet attenuates inflammation and coagulation process in healthy adults
Key result
High Mediterranean diet adherence linked to ~20% lower CRP vs. low adherence.
- 20% lower
- P=0.015
- n=3,042
Why the study?
The mechanisms by which the Mediterranean diet reduces cardiovascular risk are not well understood.
Does adherence to the Mediterranean diet reduce inflammation and coagulation markers in healthy adults?
Comparison
High adherence vs low adherence to the Mediterranean diet
Design
Cross-sectional study
Authors
Discussion
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Implication
Suggests reduced inflammation as potential mechanism for Mediterranean diet CV benefits; leaves open causality, needing RCTs before practice implications.
Key Points
- To evaluate how adherence to a Mediterranean diet affects circulating biomarkers of inflammation and coagulation in adults without cardiovascular disease.
- Randomly enrolled 1,514 men (aged 18 to 87 years) and 1,528 women (aged 18 to 89 years) from the Attica region of Greece between 2001 and 2002.
- Excluded individuals with a history of cardiovascular disease (5% of men and 3% of women).
- Evaluated diet adherence using a composite Mediterranean diet score, comparing inflammatory and coagulation biomarkers across score tertiles.
- Participants in the highest diet score tertile had significantly lower levels of C-reactive protein (-20%, p = 0.015), interleukin-6 (-17%, p = 0.025), homocysteine (-15%, p = 0.031), white blood cell count (-14%, p = 0.001), and fibrinogen (-6%, p = 0.025) compared to those in the lowest tertile.
- Borderline non-significant associations were observed between diet score and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (p = 0.076) and amyloid A levels (p = 0.19).
Study Design
Type
Cross-Sectional (n=3,042)
Structured PICO
Does adherence to the Mediterranean diet reduce inflammation and coagulation markers in healthy adults?
P
Population
3,042 men and women aged 18 to 89 years from Greece, free of cardiovascular disease, assessed for dietary habits and inflammatory markers.
E
Exposure
High adherence to the Mediterranean diet (highest tertile of diet score)
C
Comparator
Low adherence to the Mediterranean diet (lowest tertile of diet score)
O
Outcome
Plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cell counts, interleukin (IL)-6, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha, amyloid A, fibrinogen, and homocysteinesurrogate
Main Result
Effect estimate: 20% lower
p-value: p=0.015
Higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with significantly lower levels of systemic inflammation and coagulation markers in healthy adults, providing a potential mechanism for its cardiovascular benefits.
Cite This Study
Chrysohoou et al. (2004) conducted a cross-sectional in Healthy adults (n=3,042). Mediterranean diet vs. Lowest tertile of diet score was evaluated on Plasma levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) (20% lower, p=0.015). Highest adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with 20% lower CRP (p=0.015), 17% lower IL-6 (p=0.025), and 14% lower white blood cell counts (p=0.001) compared to the lowest adherence.