Comparison of nutritional status and adherence to Mediterranean style diet of individuals diagnosed with and without coronary artery disease

This study, which aims to compare the nutritional status and adherence to the Mediterranean style diet of individuals with and without coronary artery disease (CAD), was conducted on a total of 114 adult individuals, 71 men and 43 women over the age of 18. The study included two groups of individuals who were diagnosed with CAD by a cardiologist (CAD+) (n=57) and those who were not diagnosed with CAD (CAD-) (n=57). The data of the study was obtained through a questionnarie form and was applied by the researcher using the face-to-face interview method. The form consisted of questions aimed at questioning the demographic characteristics and nutritional status of individuals, and sections under the headings Mediterranean Diet Adherence Scale (MEDAS), International Physical Activity Questionnarie, 24-hour food consumption record, anthropometric measurement and body analysis record, blood pressure measurement record and biochemical findings form. The mean age of the CAD+ group (59.3±8.80 years) was found to be higher than the mean age of the CAD- group (53.8±8.69 years) (p<0.05). The frequency of eating out was found to be higher in the CAD- group than in the CAD+ group (p<0.05). The mean plasma fasting glucose (mg/dL) and HbA1c (%) values of the CAD+ group were higher than the CAD- group (p<0.05). When the serum lipid profile of the individuals was examined, no statistically significant difference was found between the groups (p>0.05). It was found that the CAD+ group had higher daily dietary intake of saturated fatty acids (%) compared to the CAD- group (p<0.05). The mean total scores of the MEDAS of the CAD+ group were 6.30±1.88, and the CAD- group were 7.14±2.00 (p<0.05). It was found that 38.6% of the CAD+ group and 64.9% of the CAD- group had adherence to the Mediterranean style diet (p<0.05). In individuals in the CAD+ group, a negative significant relationship was observed between the MEDAS total scores and serum hemoglobin, hematocrit, total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol and BUN values (p<0.05). It was concluded that increasing compliance with the Mediterranean style diet may reduce the risk of CAD and there is a need for further studies with large samples.