Tag Archives: left ventricular mass

Eating a Mediterranean-Style Diet Results in Significantly Reduced Left Ventricular Mass

Increased left ventricular mass is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in many populations. An increase in the left ventricular mass results in the heart having to work a lot harder to pump blood through the body, increasing risk to many cardiovascular problems, including hypertension and eventually heart failure.

There are data to suggest that one’s diet has an influence on cardiovascular health, however, there have been very few scientific studies examining the relationship between

Photo by Patrick J. Lynch, medical illustrator (Patrick J. Lynch, medical illustrator) [CC-BY-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
Photo by Patrick J. Lynch, medical illustrator (Patrick J. Lynch, medical illustrator) [CC-BY-2.5 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.5)], via Wikimedia Commons
left ventricular mass and the consumption of a Mediterranean-style diet.

A new collaborative study by researchers at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine (FL) and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons (NY) looked at 1937 multi-ethnic patients and determined what type of diet they regularly consumed as well as the mass of their left ventricle (using echocardiography).

Important findings:

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