Cardiovascular disease risk factors and dietary habits of farmers from Crete 45 years after the first description of the Mediterranean diet

Background Farmers from Crete as first studied within the framework of the Seven Countries Study, were historically known for holding the title of the ‘gold standard’ of health status globally and had a very low prevalence of both cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer. Taking the above into account we evaluated the changes in CVD risk factors among farmers in Crete, Greece and compared our findings with data from the 1960s. Design...