The Effects of a Mediterranean Style Diet in Heart Disease Patients Running a Cardiac Rehabilitation Program

Nutrition is capable of altering the cardiovascular health of the general population. However, the ideal food and nutritional interventions for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular brain disease and for cardiac rehabilitation are still far from being defined, given the lack of scientific evidence in this specific population of individuals with atherosclerotic disease. This work aims to demonstrate that an intensive program will improve cardiovascular risk predictor parameters, such as high systolic blood pressure, altered lipid and glucose profile, used in the SMART Risk Score tool. In this 12-week clinical study with two arms running in parallel, individuals referred to a cardiac rehabilitation program will receive either an intensive food and nutrition intervention program with nutrition consultations, in which the adoption of the Mediterranean diet is promoted, with contacts telephone calls, short text messages, consultation support tools, podcasts, free access short videos, culinary medicine sessions and nutrition "workshops", or the standard of care program recommended in the Nutritional Support Protocol of the Cardiac Rehabilitation Program. At the beginning of the study, at 4 weeks, at 8 weeks and at 12 weeks, blood and urine samples will be collected, body composition, blood pressure, adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern will be assessed, by applying the PREDIMED questionnaire and the dietary intake of 24h previous. The quality of life of individuals will be assessed by the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire at the beginning and at the end of the study. It is expected that the increased intensity and support from the intensive program will have a significant impact on the various metabolic and inflammatory markers predictive of cardiovascular risk and that these observed changes will result in a decreased 10-year risk of developing acute myocardial infarction, stroke or vascular death. On the other hand, the intervention is intended to improve quality of life, improve weight control and assess the impact it has on adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Acute Myocardial Infarction With ST Elevation
• Intervention / Treatment: Behavioral: Mediterranean style diet; Behavioral: Standard of care

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 21
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Portugal
  • Lisbon, Portugal, 1169-056 Lisboa
    • NOVA Medical School | Universidade NOVA de Lisboa Campo Mártires da Pátria, 130

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 30 years to 90 years (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Men and women with ST-segment elevation acute myocardial infarction undergoing primary angioplasty;
• Ages 30-90 years;
• Willing and able to provide written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Subjects with heart failure (LVEF <40%) on admission;
• Subjects with renal failure (GFR <50 ml / min / 1.73m²);
• Subjects requiring internment;

• Subjects who present any other condition that may interfere with adherence to the study protocol.

  • Subjects who attract to be accompanied by another nutritionist;
  • Subjects who have a specific dietary pattern or who take vitamin and/or mineral supplements;
  • Subjects unable to give consent.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Prevention
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Mediterranean style diet; Mediterranean style diet.	Behavioral: Mediterranean style diet; The intervention will consist of an intensive food and nutrition intervention program to improve adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern. In addition to individual and face-to-face nutrition consultations, other strategies will be used, such as telephone contacts, short text messages, consultation support tools, podcasts, short open access videos, nutrition workshops and nutrition sessions for caregivers of participants in the study.
Active Comparator: Standard of care; Standard of care.	Behavioral: Standard of care; The usual care group will only have access to face-to-face and individual nutrition consultations in order to improve adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Change in SMART Risk Score	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change in SMART Risk Score from baseline to the end of follow-up.	baseline to 12 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Self-reported quality of life	Difference between the intervention and control group in the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire from baseline to the end of follow-up.	baseline to 12 weeks
Adherence to the Mediterranean dietary pattern	Difference between the intervention and control group in MEDAS questionnaire from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
Change in weight	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of weight (kg) from baseline to 12 weeks.	baseline to 12 weeks
Change in body fat	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of body fat (%) from baseline to 12 weeks.	baseline to 12 weeks
Change in fat free mass	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of fat free mass (kg) from baseline to 12 weeks.	baseline to 12 weeks
Change in total body water	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of total body water (kg) from baseline to 12 weeks.	baseline to 12 weeks
Change in systolic blood pressure	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of systolic blood pressure from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
Change in diastolic blood pressure	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of diastolic blood pressure from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
Change of insulin	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of insulin from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
Change of fasting blood glucose	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of fasting blood glucose from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
Change of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c)	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
Change of type 1 insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1)	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of type 1 insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
Change of LDL cholesterol	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of LDL- cholesterol from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
Change of HDL cholesterol	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of HDL- cholesterol from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
Change of triglycerides	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of triglycerides from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
Change of apolipoprotein B	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of apolipoprotein B from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
Change of apolipoprotein A1	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of apolipoprotein A1 from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
Change of liporprotein(a)	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of liporprotein(a) from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
Change of high sensitivity C-reactive protein	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of high sensitivity C-reactive protein from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
change of myeloperoxidase	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of myeloperoxidase from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
Change of interleukin 1	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of interleukin 1 from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
Change of interleukin 6	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of interleukin 6 from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
Change of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α)	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
Change of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO)	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of trimethylamine N-oxide (TMAO) from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
Change of L-carnitine	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of L-carnitine from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
Change of urinary hydroxytyrosol	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of urinary hydroxytyrosol from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks
Change of plasma proportion of alpha linolenic acid	Difference between the intervention and control group in the change of plasma proportion of alpha linolenic acid from baseline to 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks.	baseline, 4 weeks, 8 weeks and 12 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Universidade Nova de Lisboa
• Collaborators: Hospital de Santa Marta - Centro Hospitalar Universitário, Lisboa Central (CHULC), Portugal
• Investigators: Principal Investigator: Pedro Rio, MD, Hospital de Santa Marta - Centro Hospitalar Universitário | Lisboa Central (CHULC); Study Director: André Moreira-Rosário, PhD, NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa; Study Director: Júlio C Rocha, PhD, NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa; Study Director: Diana Teixeira, PhD, NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa; Principal Investigator: Conceição Calhau, PhD, NOVA Medical School | Faculdade de Ciências Médicas da Universidade Nova de Lisboa

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): June 1, 2022
• Primary Completion (Actual): December 31, 2022
• Study Completion (Actual): December 31, 2022

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: February 7, 2022
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 7, 2022
• First Posted (Actual): February 17, 2022

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): February 17, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: February 12, 2026
• Last Verified: February 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Additional Relevant MeSH Terms: Vascular Diseases; Cardiovascular Diseases; Pathologic Processes; Heart Diseases; Infarction; Necrosis; Myocardial Ischemia; Myocardial Infarction; Ischemia; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms; ST Elevation Myocardial Infarction; Health Services Administration; Health Care Quality, Access, and Evaluation; Quality of Health Care; Quality Indicators, Health Care; Standard of Care
• Other Study ID Numbers: NutriReHeart

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: NO
• IPD Plan Description: Individual participant data (IPD) from this study will not be publicly shared because the ethics committee has limited their use to the approved research project. However, anonymised partial data sets or summary data may be made available upon reasonable request.

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No