Heading south for health

More people die from heart attack in England and Belgium than in Italy, so would English and Belgium hearts benefit from moving south? And is it Mediterranean diet that makes the difference?

European researchers are seeking to resolve these questions in an EU-funded project called Immidiet, which will evaluate the present dietary habits and the risk profile of heart disease in Italy, Belgium and UK, and the impact of migration between Italy and Belgium.

To do this, researchers are recruiting hundreds of volunteer couples in each of these countries, with the first phase of the study, comparing diet and genetic characteristics of Belgian couples to Italian and UK couples, nearing completion. Scientists are hoping to learn whether diet and genetic predisposition can determine an individual's protection from risk of cardiovascular disease.

The countries were selected based on the information available on the potential role of the traditional Mediterranean diet, rich in vegetables, red wine and olive oil, in the prevention of heart disease: compared to Italy, the risk of developing heart disease is two to three times higher in UK and Belgium. But in the last 20 years, Italians and other southern Europeans have been adopting more northern European food habits, whereas populations in Northern Europe, with higher prevalence of heart diseases, are moving towards a more Mediterranean-style diet, for example by using more olive oil.

The second phase of the project​, due to start soon, will involve both native and mixed Italian-Belgian couples. It will also include native English couples, where the cardiovascular risk is higher, in order to compare the impact of different lifestyles and diet across Europe.