Quick Dive: Diet and nutrition in cardiovascular disease prevention

What is the reason for and aim of the publication?

The reason for the publication is the persistent underutilization of nutrition as a tool in cardiovascular disease (CVD) prevention and care, despite overwhelming evidence that unhealthy diets are a leading modifiable risk factor for CVD globally.

Our aim was to:

• Present a comprehensive, evidence-based overview of the role of diet in cardiovascular health, which could be of use to both healthcare professionals and patients.
• Advocate for nutrition to be integrated into clinical practice, public health strategies, education, and policy.
• Provide a call to action for healthcare professionals, educators, and policymakers to make nutrition a central pillar of preventive cardiology.

What are the most important take-home messages?

1. Poor diet is a leading modifiable risk factor for cardiovascular disease and mortality worldwide.
2. Evidence-based dietary patterns (like the Mediterranean, DASH, and whole-food plant-based diets) are consistently linked to lower CVD risk.
3. Ultra-processed foods, excess salt, sugar, and saturated fat contribute significantly to CVD and should be minimized.
4. Nutrition counselling is underused in clinical settings due to lack of training, resources, and system-level integration.
5. Healthcare professionals must be educated and empowered to deliver dietary advice and advocate for healthier food systems.
6. Policy-level interventions (e.g. fiscal tools, food labeling, restrictions on marketing) are essential to make healthy choices accessible and affordable.
7. Nutrition should be embedded in national prevention strategies, medical curricula, and electronic health records.
   

What are challenges in practical implementation – and possible solutions?

Challenges: 

• Lack of training for clinicians in nutrition science.
• Limited time and reimbursement for nutritional counselling.
• Pervasive misinformation about diets from non-scientific sources.
• Inequitable access to affordable healthy food.
• Cultural and social barriers to dietary change.

Possible solutions:

• Integrate nutrition education into medical and nursing curricula.
• Incentivize nutritional counselling through health systems and insurers.
• Develop clear, evidence-based patient tools and guidelines.
• Strengthen regulation of food marketing and labeling.
• Ensure misinformation (such as on social media) is monitored and minimised
• Support community-based and culturally sensitive dietary interventions.
  

Which issues still need to be tackled, that are not yet addressed by the paper?

• Increasing use of digital tools
• Role of food industry engagement and accountability
• How to modify behaviours at a population level where there is high dependence on processed food
• Cost-effectiveness analysis of integrating dietary interventions

What further developments on the topic are emerging?

• Precision nutrition with the use of AI-based idetary assessment tools, including continuous glucose monitoring
• Potential benefits of gut microbiome in cardiovascular health
• Sustainability of dietary health

Which questions should also be asked?

What role can all healthcare professionals from doctors, to nurses, allied health professionals play in delivering healthier nutrition for the community?

How can we restrict misinformation on social media regarding this topic?

Scientific statement: "Diet and nutrition in cardiovascular disease prevention"

Reference: Marques-Vidal P, Tsampasian V, Cassidy A et al. Diet and nutrition in cardiovascular disease prevention: a scientific statement of the European Association of Preventive Cardiology and the Association of Cardiovascular Nursing & Allied Professions of the European Society of Cardiology. European Journal of Preventive Cardiology, zwaf310, https://doi.org/10.1093/eurjpc/zwaf310

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