Nutrient-rich fruits and vegetables: key for preventing cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in those with pre-existing cardiovascular disease?

Recent literature demonstrates interest in health effects of dietary quality beyond primary prevention of cardiovascular diseaes, cancer, and all-cause mortality to other important health outcomes [1*, 2,3] and secondary prevention of total and cause-specific mortality among those with pre-existing coronary [4**] or cardiovascular disease [5**]. These include articles assessing dietary quality by concordance with a Mediterranean dietary pattern [1*,5**,6*], the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) dietary pattern [1*,9*], the dietary component of the 2006 Amrican Heart Association Diet and Lifestyle Recommendations [2], and the Alternative Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI2010) [3,4**].