Mediterranean Lifestyle Linked to Lower Heart Risk
A study of over 3,600 British adults with type 2 diabetes found that adhering to a Mediterranean lifestyle significantly reduces the risk of major adverse cardiac events and mortality. The lifestyle approach includes healthy diet, physical activity, adequate rest, and social connection.
Why it matters
It provides evidence-based lifestyle interventions that can drastically improve health outcomes for the growing population of people living with type 2 diabetes.
A MEDITERRANEAN lifestyle could help reduce cardiovascular complications and mortality among people with type 2 diabetes, according to a UK Biobank study.
The findings suggest that adopting a broader Mediterranean lifestyle, extending beyond diet to include physical activity, adequate rest and social connection, may offer an accessible approach to reducing cardiovascular risk in people living with type 2 diabetes.
Researchers analysed data from 3,612 British adults aged 40–70 with type 2 diabetes who participated in the UK Biobank. Participants were followed for a median of 10.5 to 12.1 years.
Adherence was assessed using a modified Mediterranean Lifestyle Index (MEDLIFE), a 25-point score based on information participants provided at baseline between 2009 and 2012.
The three assessed areas were Mediterranean food consumption, made up of 12 food items, Mediterranean dietary habits, including alcohol, sugar and caffeine habits and, finally, physical activity, rest, social habits and conviviality.
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