Lacto-Ovo-Vegetarian Diets for Myocardial Perfusion in Adults with Coronary Artery Disease: A Systematic Review
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Introduction: Lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets have gained increasing popularity in recent decades. These diets are characterized by a low intake of saturated fat and a high consumption of vegetables and legumes. Several publications have shown that the consumption of these foods is associated with a lower incidence of non-communicable chronic diseases (NCDs). The aim of this systematic review was to evaluate the effects of lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets in adults with established coronary artery disease. We assessed their impact on myocardial perfusion, quality of life, mortality, type 2 diabetes, overweight, and obesity.
Materials and methods: Systematic review with meta-analysis (CRD 42023456770).
Results: We identified 3,601 records. After an independent screening process conducted by three authors, we included three studies in the systematic review, along with three additional secondary publications related to the included studies. The studies reported an improvement in myocardial perfusion measured by PET scan (+4.9 ± 3.3 in the vegetarian diet group vs. −8.8 ± 2.3 in the control group), as well as improvements in certain quality-of-life domains with lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets compared with non-restricted diets (80.84 [95% CI: 76.21–85.47] vs. 80.45 [95% CI: 75.55–85.35] in the control group). However, the impact of these diets on type 2 diabetes, overweight, and obesity was minimal.
Conclusions: Lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets may improve myocardial perfusion and certain aspects of quality of life. Their effect on NCDs such as type 2 diabetes, overweight, and obesity appears to be minimal. Further studies with larger sample sizes are needed to assess the effect of lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets on the main outcomes considered in this review.
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