Low Mediterranean Diet scores are associated with reduced kidney function and health related quality of life but not other markers of cardiovascular risk in adults with diabetes and chronic kidney disease

Abstract Background and Aims How Mediterranean-style diets impact cardiovascular and health outcomes in patients with both diabetes and kidney disease is not well known. Our aim was to investigate the association between diet quality, using Mediterranean Diet Scores (MDS) and health outcomes. Methods and Results This is a post-hoc analysis of an RCT and longitudinal study investigating patients with diabetes and chronic kidney disease (CKD). MDS was calculated annually. Scores were analyzed for correlation with lipids, HbA1c, serum potassium, health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and depression. 178 diet records from 50 patients who attended two or more visits were included. Mean MDS was moderate (4.1 ± 1.6) and stable over time. Stage 1-2 vs 3-5 CKD had lower raw MDS (3.8±1.5 vs 4.6±1.5, p Conclusions Low Mediterranean Diet scores were associated reduced kidney function and health related quality of life, but not to other markers of cardiovascular risk. Further studies are needed to understand the nature and direction of the association between diet quality and disease outcomes in this population.