The
Lyon
Diet
Heart
Study
has
received
much
attention.
In
this
trial,
605
patients
who
survived
a
first
myocardial
infarction
were
randomised
to
either
a
control
or
a
Mediterranean
diet
[70,71].
The
latter
was
designed
to
supply
less
than
35%
of
its
energy
as
fat
and
less
than
10%
as
saturated
fat;
it
was
low
in
linoleic
acid
and
high
in
alpha-linolenic
acid.
The
control
group
was
advised
to
follow
step
1
of
the
American
Heart
Association
‘prudent
diet’
[72].
Con-
cordance
was
assessed
through
dietary
surveys
and
measurement
of
plasma
fatty
acids.
The
trial
was
discontinued
early
due
to
the
significant
superiority
of
the
Mediterranean
diet
in
an
interim
anal-
ysis.
Following
publication
of
the
initial
results,
the
two
groups
were
followed
up
further
for
a
mean
of
4
years.
The
composite
outcome
–
which
factored
in
myocardial
infarction,
cardiovascu-
lar
death,
episodes
of
unstable
angina,
overt
heart
failure,
stroke
and
pulmonary
or
peripheral
embolism–was
reduced
by
70%
in
the
group
on
the
Mediterranean
diet
relative
to
the
control
group
(27
events
versus
90
events).
Four
patients
had
a
stroke
in
the
con-
trol
group
and
none
in
the
experimental
group.
According
to
the
authors,
93.4%
of
the
control
group
and
92.4%
of
the
experimen-
tal
group
attended
the
final
visit,
but
the
daily
nutrient
intake
was
recorded
for
only
40.7%
of
the
control
group
and
65.7%
of
the
exper-
imental
group.
It
is
unclear
whether
the
rest
of
the
participants
were
still
concordant
with
their
diets.
Interestingly,
traditional
risk
factors,
including
BMI,
blood
pressure,
total
cholesterol,
HDL,
LDL
and
glycated
haemoglobin
(HbA1c)
levels
did
not
differ
between
the
two
groups
at
the
end
of
the
study.
The
authors
suggest
that
the
favourable
profile
of
high
omega-3
fatty
acids
and
low
omega-
6
fatty
acids
and
their
anti-inflammatory
and
plaque-stabilising
effects
may
be
the
protective
mediators
of
the
Mediterranean
diet.
As
far
as
dietary
recommendations
are
concerned,
the
Stroke
Council
of
the
American
Heart
Association
[73]
suggests
the
Amer-
ican
Heart
Association
Step
II
diet,
which
consists
of
30%
of
calories
derived
from
fat
(and
less
than
7%
from
saturated
fat)
and
with
less
than
200
mg
cholesterol
a
day
[74].
According
to
the
Amer-
ican
Stroke
Association’s
guidelines
and
recommendations
[75],
patients
who
have
had
a
first
stroke
should:
• limit
saturated
and
trans
fatty
acids
to
a
minimum,
avoid
fried
foods,
fatty
meats,
butter
and
margarine
and
creamed
or
whole-
milk
products
(instead
they
should
choose
lean
meats,
poultry
and
fish
or
substitute
legumes
and
soy
products
for
meats);
• choose
tub
margarines
containing
plant
stanol
or
sterol
esters,
which
help
to
lower
cholesterol,
and
minimise
their
use
of
highly
processed,
canned
and
frozen
prepared
foods;
• limit
salt
to
2300
mg
per
day
and
substitute
other
seasonings
and
flavourings;
• limit
alcohol
to
two
drinks
per
day
for
most
men
and
one
drink
per
day
for
women
and
low-weight
people
(1
drink
=
12
oz
beer,
5
oz
wine
or
1.5
oz
80-proof
liquor);
• choose
low-fat
or
fat-free
dairy
products
in
place
of
higher-fat
versions;
• read
food
labels
carefully
and
select
foods
for
which
‘whole
grain’
appears
as
one
of
the
first
ingredients,
and
substitute
whole-grain
breads,
pastas
and
flours
for
their
traditional
white
versions;
• eat
a
variety
of
nuts
(if
their
swallowing
is
normal).