College
College of Arts and Sciences
Mentor Information
Naima Stennett
Description
The Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) reduces risk of hyperlipidemia by reducing LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) levels, which cause plaque buildup. However, the comparison of the MedDiet with other diets for improving lipid profiles in hyperlipidemic patients has not been thoroughly investigated. This study evaluates how MedDiet compares to diets such as the Vegan, Keto, and DASH diets on adults with hyperlipidemia concerning our primary outcome LDL-C levels and our secondary outcome HDL levels. A meta-analysis on 47 studies, 169 screened, from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect focused on comparing effects of DASH, vegan, low-fat, Western, and Keto diets against MedDiet. Demographics, age, adherence length, LDL-C/LDL-C %, and different types of intervention-per-diet were analyzed to assess the effects they may have, while studies lacking diet comparisons or results without lipids/hyperlipidemia were excluded. Across studies, the MedDiet produced a moderate reduction in LDL-C, reducing plaque formation and hyperlipidemia risk. While low-fat vegan diets achieved greater LDL-C reductions, the MedDiet improved LDL-C more consistently than the DASH diet. Ketogenic diets increased (High- Density Lipoprotein) HDL and reduced triglycerides, improving cholesterol transport and reduced atherogenic risk, however they showed less consistent LDL-C improvement, whereas plant-based diets lowered LDL-C with modest HDL reduction and triglyceride increases, potentially limiting hyperlipidemia prevention. MedDiet improves outcomes in LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, though short trials, medication changes, and limited diversity remain gaps. Future studies should isolate specific diet effects (DASH, MED, low-fat), and extend durations of interventions used, as findings were limited from shorter periods and confounding variables.
The Mediterranean Diet and Lipid Profiles in Hyperlipidemia
The Mediterranean Diet (MedDiet) reduces risk of hyperlipidemia by reducing LDL (Low-Density Lipoprotein) levels, which cause plaque buildup. However, the comparison of the MedDiet with other diets for improving lipid profiles in hyperlipidemic patients has not been thoroughly investigated. This study evaluates how MedDiet compares to diets such as the Vegan, Keto, and DASH diets on adults with hyperlipidemia concerning our primary outcome LDL-C levels and our secondary outcome HDL levels. A meta-analysis on 47 studies, 169 screened, from PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and ScienceDirect focused on comparing effects of DASH, vegan, low-fat, Western, and Keto diets against MedDiet. Demographics, age, adherence length, LDL-C/LDL-C %, and different types of intervention-per-diet were analyzed to assess the effects they may have, while studies lacking diet comparisons or results without lipids/hyperlipidemia were excluded. Across studies, the MedDiet produced a moderate reduction in LDL-C, reducing plaque formation and hyperlipidemia risk. While low-fat vegan diets achieved greater LDL-C reductions, the MedDiet improved LDL-C more consistently than the DASH diet. Ketogenic diets increased (High- Density Lipoprotein) HDL and reduced triglycerides, improving cholesterol transport and reduced atherogenic risk, however they showed less consistent LDL-C improvement, whereas plant-based diets lowered LDL-C with modest HDL reduction and triglyceride increases, potentially limiting hyperlipidemia prevention. MedDiet improves outcomes in LDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels, though short trials, medication changes, and limited diversity remain gaps. Future studies should isolate specific diet effects (DASH, MED, low-fat), and extend durations of interventions used, as findings were limited from shorter periods and confounding variables.
