Jimenez-Torres, JoseAlcalá-Diaz, Juan FTorres-Peña, Jose DGutierrez-Mariscal, Francisco MLeon-Acuña, AnaGómez-Luna, PurificaciónFernández-Gandara, CarolinaQuintana-Navarro, Gracia MFernandez-Garcia, Jose CPerez-Martinez, PabloOrdovas, Jose MDelgado-Lista, JavierYubero-Serrano, Elena MLopez-Miranda, Jose2025-01-072025-01-072021-08-10https://hdl.handle.net/10668/25721Lifestyle and diet affect cardiovascular risk, although there is currently no consensus about the best dietary model for the secondary prevention of cardiovascular disease. The CORDIOPREV study (Coronary Diet Intervention With Olive Oil and Cardiovascular Prevention) is an ongoing prospective, randomized, single-blind, controlled trial in 1002 coronary heart disease patients, whose primary objective is to compare the effect of 2 healthy dietary patterns (low-fat rich in complex carbohydrates versus Mediterranean diet rich in extra virgin olive oil) on the incidence of cardiovascular events. Here, we report the results of one secondary outcome of the CORDIOPREV study. Thus, to evaluate the efficacy of these diets in reducing cardiovascular disease risk. Intima-media thickness of both common carotid arteries (IMT-CC) was ultrasonically assessed bilaterally. IMT-CC is a validated surrogate for the status and future cardiovascular disease risk. From the total participants, 939 completed IMT-CC evaluation at baseline and were randomized to follow a Mediterranean diet (35% fat, 22% monounsaturated fatty acids, 55% carbohydrates) with IMT-CC measurements at 5 and 7 years. We also analyzed the carotid plaque number and height. The Mediterranean diet decreased IMT-CC at 5 years (−0.027±0.008 mm; P Long-term consumption of a Mediterranean diet rich in extravirgin olive oil, if compared to a low-fat diet, was associated with decreased atherosclerosis progression, as shown by reduced IMT-CC and carotid plaque height. These findings reinforce the clinical benefits of the Mediterranean diet in the context of secondary cardiovascular prevention. URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT00924937.enAttribution 4.0 Internationalhttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/atherosclerosiscardiovascular diseasediet, Mediterraneanfatty acidsolive oilCarotid Intima-Media ThicknessCoronary Artery DiseaseCoronary DiseaseDiet, Fat-RestrictedDiet, MediterraneanDisease ProgressionFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedSecondary PreventionSingle-Blind Methodresearch article34372670open access10.1161/STROKEAHA.120.0332141524-4628https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/pdf/10.1161/STROKEAHA.120.033214