Socioeconomic status and risk factors for cardiovascular disease: Impact of dietary mediators

• Main Authors: Theodora Psaltopoulou, MD PhD, George Hatzis, MD PhD, Nikolaos Papageorgiou, MD PhD, Emmanuel Androulakis, MD PhD, Alexandros Briasoulis, MD PhD, Dimitris Tousoulis, MD PhD FACC FESC
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier 2017-01-01
• Series: Hellenic Journal of Cardiology
• Online Access: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1109966617300404

It is well known that cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of mortality in the western societies. A number of risk factors such as family history, diabetes, hypertension, obesity, diabetes, smoking and physical inactivity are responsible for a significant proportion of the overall cardiovascular risk. Interestingly, recent data suggest there is a gradient in the incidence, morbidity and mortality of cardiovascular disease across the spectrum of socioeconomic status, as this is defined by educational level, occupation or income. Additionally, dietary mediators seem to play significant role in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular disease, mediating some of the discrepancies in atherosclerosis among different socioeconomic layers. Therefore, in the present article, we aim to review the association between socioeconomic status and cardiovascular disease risk factors and the role of different dietary mediators. Keywords: Diet, Cardiovascular disease, Socioeconomic status, Obesity, Nutrition