Interplay Between Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet and Lipid Profile: A Comparative Survey Between Day-Time Healthcare and Non-healthcare Female Workers.

Luigi Di Lorenzo,Luigi Vimercati,Luisa Lampignano,Nicola Mariano Manghisi,Roberta Zupo,Antonio Caputi,Antonella Pipoli,Giovanni De Pergola,Luigi De Maria

doi:10.3389/fpubh.2021.649760

Abstract

Introduction: Occupational physicians, as an aspect of the periodic health surveillance of workers prescribed by law, must develop preventive programs against adverse health-related occurrences (Legislative Decree 81/2008, art.25) to reduce major risk factors for non-communicable/chronic diseases. Eating habits play an important role in defining risk trajectories in the workplace.Methods: We randomly and cross-sectionally evaluated 147 females, of which 59 were healthcare workers (HCWs) and 88 were non-HCWs. The assessment included a dietary screening for adherence to the Mediterranean diet (MD) and a clinical baseline collection of major fluid biomarkers and anthropometric indicators for cardiovascular and metabolic risk.Results: The HCW group exhibited greater adherence to the MD than the non-HCW group. Nevertheless, they showed higher serum levels of triglycerides and total cholesterol. Menopause and type of work significantly and unfavorably affected triglyceride serum levels among HCWs.Conclusion: Greater preventive efforts are needed in the context of periodic health surveillance by occupational physicians. Disseminating additional information on a healthier lifestyle, particularly among female workers of perimenopausal age, is a key issue.

Highlights

Occupational physicians, as an aspect of the periodic health surveillance of workers prescribed by law, must develop preventive programs against adverse health-related occurrences (Legislative Decree 81/2008, art.25) to reduce major risk factors for non-communicable/chronic diseases
Mediterranean diet (MD) defines a nutritional model characterized by high consumption of seasonal vegetables, fresh fruits and nuts, legumes and cereals, which ensure an appropriate intake of fiber and starch; a specific peculiarity of MD is the use of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, as the main lipid source, and low intake of saturated fatty acids
Several studies have demonstrated the association between adherence to MD and reduced prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors such as abdominal fat [5, 6], hypertension [7], dyslipidemia [8], diabetes mellitus [9], cardiovascular disease (CVD) [10, 11] and cancer [12]

Summary

Introduction

Occupational physicians, as an aspect of the periodic health surveillance of workers prescribed by law, must develop preventive programs against adverse health-related occurrences (Legislative Decree 81/2008, art.25) to reduce major risk factors for non-communicable/chronic diseases. The Mediterranean diet (MD) is a diet common to the inhabitants of lands surrounding the Mediterranean Sea, originally observed in Southern Italy in the 1960s and described based on food consumption patterns in the Greek Peninsula [1, 2] This dietary pattern features higher consumption of vegetables and lower intake of animal foods and is widely recognized as a key driver of the lower rate of mortality from cardiovascular disease (CVD), as observed in the Corfu and Crete cohorts at 25 years of follow-up [1]. We found that low adherence to MD was associated with lower circulating levels of 25-OH-vitamin D [6] All these benefits are largely derived from daily consumption of 25–50 ml/day EVOO, which seems most importantly to work well in decreasing LDL atherogenicity and CV risk. This is notable since LDL cholesterol is accepted as a causal risk factor for the development of myocardial infarction and atherosclerotic CVD [13]

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