Table 1.
Characteristics of the study population at baseline
| MedDiet with VOO group | MedDiet with nuts group | Control diet group | |
|---|---|---|---|
| n | 139 | 145 | 134 |
| Age (years) | 67.4 ± 6.1 | 66.6 ± 5.8 | 67.8 ± 6.1 |
| Male sex (%) | 40 | 47 | 38 |
| Current smoker (%) | 11 | 15 | 15 |
| Weight (kg) | 75.3 ± 10.3 | 76.1 ± 10.5 | 76.2 ± 11.3 |
| BMI (kg/m2) | 29.7 ± 3.3 | 29.6 ± 3.1 | 30.0 ± 3.3 |
| Waist circumference(cm) | 101.1 ± 8.6 | 100.3 ± 8.5 | 102.2 ± 9.4 |
| Leisure-time physical activity (kcal/day) | 372 ± 280 | 389 ± 267 | 338 ± 209 |
| Plasma biomarkers | |||
| LDL cholesterol (mmol/l) | 3.7 ± 0.9 | 3.5 ± 0.8 | 3.7 ± 0.9 |
| HDL cholesterol (mmol/l) | 1.5 ± 0.3 | 1.5 ± 0.4 | 1.5 ± 0.4 |
| Triglycerides (mmol/l) | 1.5 ± 0.6 | 1.6 ± 0.8 | 1.6 ± 0.8 |
| Non–HDL cholesterol (mmol/l) | 4.3 ± 0.9 | 4.2 ± 0.9 | 4.4 ± 1.0 |
| Fasting glucose (mmol/l) | 5.5 ± 0.8 | 5.5 ± 0.9 | 5.5 ± 0.9 |
| 2-h postload glucose (mmol/l)* | 7.1 ± 2.6 | 6.9 ± 2.4 | 7.4 ± 2.9 |
| Fasting insulin (μU/ml)† | 5.8 ± 3.6 | 5.4 ± 3.2 | 6.2 ± 4.4 |
| HOMA-IR† | 1.41 ± 0.87 | 1.34 ± 0.87 | 1.60 ± 1.17 |
| Medication use (%) | |||
| Lipid-lowering drugs | 46.8 | 47.6 | 40.3 |
| Antihypertensive medication | 82.0 | 82.1 | 78.4 |
| Estrogen replacement therapy | 2.4 | 0.0 | 2.4 |
| Energy, food, and nutrient intake | |||
| Total energy (kcal/day) | 2,320 ± 579 | 2,365 ± 570 | 2,314 ± 580 |
| Carbohydrate (% energy) | 41 ± 6 | 40 ± 6 | 41 ± 7 |
| Protein (% energy) | 16 ± 3 | 16 ± 2 | 16 ± 2 |
| Fat (% energy) | 41 ± 6 | 41 ± 6 | 40 ± 7 |
| MUFA-to-SFA ratio | 1.9 ± 0.4 | 2.0 ± 0.4 | 1.9 ± 0.5 |
| Total fiber (g/day) | 23.7 ± 7.6 | 23.6 ± 8.0 | 23.0 ± 7.7 |
| Olive oil (g/day) | 41.2 ± 17.7 | 42.0 ± 16.5 | 40.1 ± 20.4 |
| Nuts (g/day) | 13.1 ± 15.0 | 14.4 ± 15.4 | 9.3 ± 12.1 |
| Vegetables (g/day) | 309 ± 129 | 310 ± 141 | 286 ± 117 |
| Fruits (g/day) | 298 ± 185 | 315 ± 164 | 286 ± 168 |
| Legumes (g/day) | 18 ± 7.9 | 19 ± 9.0 | 18 ± 8.4 |
| Cereals (g/day) | 248 ± 98 | 245 ± 99 | 251 ± 105 |
| Red meat and meat products (g/day) | 80 ± 44 | 86 ± 46 | 84 ± 47 |
| Milk and dairy products (g/day) | 355 ± 201 | 348 ± 183 | 346 ± 207 |
| Seafood (g/day) | 107 ± 42 | 104 ± 43 | 99 ± 41 |
| Alcohol (g/day) | 8 ± 11 | 11 ± 14 | 9 ± 12 |
| Red wine (ml/day) | 57 ± 95 | 75 ± 101 | 64 ± 89 |
| Score of adherence to the MedDiet | 8.4 ± 1.9 | 8.4 ± 1.9 | 7.9 ± 1.9 |
Data are means ± SD or %. VOO, virgin olive oil.
*Data were available for 263 participants.
†Data were available for 307 participants.