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Nutrients
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Nutrition and Lifestyle Behaviors for the Prevention and Management of...
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Nutrition and Lifestyle Behaviors for the Prevention and Management of Cardiovascular Health

A special issue of Nutrients (ISSN 2072-6643). This special issue belongs to the section "Nutritional Epidemiology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 25 April 2026 | Viewed by 1932

Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Rajiv Chowdhury

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Global Health, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
Interests: implementation science; lifestyle and biological basis of cardiovascular diseases; environment and health; nutrition; diet
Dr. Pia Henfridsson

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Dietetics and Nutrition, Robert Stempel College of Public Health and Social Work, Florida International University, Miami, FL, USA
Interests: nutrition and cardiovascular health; dietary patterns and lifestyle behaviors; obesity, weight management and bariatric surgery; type 2 diabetes and metabolic risk; body composition and energy expenditure; personalized and AI-driven nutrition; nutrition, equity and community health

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Cardiovascular diseases remain the leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide, with diet and lifestyle playing pivotal roles in both prevention and management. Despite extensive research, important questions regarding the effectiveness of dietary patterns, nutritional interventions, and lifestyle behaviors across diverse populations remain.

This Special Issue aims to compile original research articles, systematic reviews, and perspectives that advance our understanding of how nutrition and lifestyle behaviors influence cardiovascular health. The scope of this Special Issue includes, but is not limited to, dietary patterns (e.g., Mediterranean, plant-based, DASH), nutrient-specific effects, physical activity, weight management, behavioral interventions, and implementation science. We particularly welcome studies that explore health disparities, personalized nutrition approaches, and the translation of evidence into practice and policy.

We look forward to receiving contributions that enrich scientific research in this important field of study.

Prof. Dr. Rajiv Chowdhury
Dr. Pia Henfridsson
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Nutrients is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2900 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cardiovascular health
  • nutrition
  • lifestyle behaviors
  • prevention
  • management
  • dietary patterns
  • physical activity
  • obesity
  • risk factors
  • public health

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

13 pages, 1058 KB  
Article
Bifidobacterium Mediates the Associations Between the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Diet and Blood Pressure and Blood Lipids in Chinese Adults
by Qiong Zhang, Yun Zhang, Maoxin Ren, Yanjun Deng, Yuanyao Chen, Guang Li, Hao Feng, Xiaobao Wang, Yuhao Cui, Jiamei Huang, Yixuan Xu, Xiaomin Li and Sumei Xiao
Nutrients 2026, 18(5), 797; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu18050797 - 28 Feb 2026
Viewed by 324
Abstract
Background: The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet effectively lowers blood pressure and improves blood lipid profiles. However, it remains unclear how the DASH diet contributes to gut microbiota and how the gut microbes affect these processes. This study aimed to [...] Read more.
Background: The Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet effectively lowers blood pressure and improves blood lipid profiles. However, it remains unclear how the DASH diet contributes to gut microbiota and how the gut microbes affect these processes. This study aimed to examine the associations of DASH diet adherence with blood pressure and lipid levels, and to explore whether the gut microbiota mediated these relationships. Methods: A total of 879 Chinese aged over 18 years were recruited. DASH diet adherence was evaluated by a food frequency questionnaire. Blood pressure and lipid measurements were obtained during physical examinations. The gut microbiota was analysed via 16S rRNA sequencing. Results: Greater DASH diet adherence was correlated with lower diastolic blood pressure (DBP; sβ = −0.180 and p = 0.027) and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C; sβ = −0.268 and p = 0.002). Five bacterial genera were associated with the DASH diet (q-value < 0.15). Among them, Bifidobacterium was inversely linked to both DBP and LDL-C (p < 0.050). Two species (Bifidobacterium kashiwanohense and Bifidobacterium longum) were detected within the Bifidobacterium genus. Both of them explained the associations of the DASH diet with DBP and/or LDL-C (average causal mediation effect = −0.027 to −0.018; p < 0.050; proportion mediated = 8.22% to 9.04%). Conclusions: This study found favourable correlations of the DASH diet with both DBP and LDL-C. Bifidobacterium partially explained these relationships. These results may offer valuable insights into managing blood pressure and lipid levels through dietary and gut microbiota modulation. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Lifestyle Behaviors for the Prevention and Management of Cardiovascular Health)
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20 pages, 517 KB  
Article
Healthful and Unhealthful Plant-Based Diets and Their Association with Cardiometabolic Targets in Women Diagnosed with Breast Cancer: A Cross-Sectional Analysis of a Lifestyle Trial
by Sara Vitale, Elvira Palumbo, Angela D'Angelo, Matteo Di Maso, Jerry Polesel, Maria Grimaldi, Giuseppe Porciello, Assunta Luongo, Rosa Pica, Anna Crispo, Ilaria Calabrese, Luca Falzone, Michelino De Laurentiis, Vincenzo Di Lauro, Daniela Cianniello, Ernesta Cavalcanti, Anita Minopoli, Marco Cuomo, Renato de Falco, Guglielmo Thomas, Massimiliano D’Aiuto, Massimo Rinaldo, Samuele Massarut, Agostino Steffan, Francesca Catalano, Francesco Ferraù, Rosalba Rossello, Francesco Messina, Vincenzo Montesarchio, David J. A. Jenkins, Gabriele Riccardi, Carlo La Vecchia, Massimo Libra, Egidio Celentano and Livia S. A. Augustinadd Show full author list remove Hide full author list
Nutrients 2025, 17(23), 3782; https://doi.org/10.3390/nu17233782 - 2 Dec 2025
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1223
Abstract
Background: Plant-based diets are recommended in guidelines for the prevention of cancer and cardiometabolic diseases, which remain major causes of death in breast cancer survivors (BCS). Since not all plant foods are healthy, we calculated the plant-based dietary index (PDI), healthy (hPDI) and [...] Read more.
Background: Plant-based diets are recommended in guidelines for the prevention of cancer and cardiometabolic diseases, which remain major causes of death in breast cancer survivors (BCS). Since not all plant foods are healthy, we calculated the plant-based dietary index (PDI), healthy (hPDI) and unhealthy (uPDI), and their associations with cardiometabolic targets in BCS. Methods: Baseline dietary and cardiometabolic data were derived from 492 (median age 51, IQR 46–59) female BCS participating in a multicentric lifestyle trial conducted in Italy. Dietary data were collected with 7-day food records. PDI, hPDI, and uPDI were calculated by assigning positive scores to all plant foods, healthy plant foods or less healthy plant foods, respectively, as defined by the literature (scores ranged from 18 to 90). Using logistic or multinomial regression models, we estimated the odds ratios (OR) and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CI) between PDIs and cardiometabolic risk factors. Results: The OR of being obese (BMI ≥ 30 Kg/m2) was 0.47 (95%CI: 0.29–0.77), 0.37 (95%CI: 0.22–0.61) and 1.38 (95%CI: 0.83–2.28) with higher PDI, hPDI and uPDI, respectively. The OR of having a large waist circumference (≥88 cm) was 0.64 (95%CI: 0.42–1.00) with higher hPDI. The OR for hypercholesterolemia (≥200 mg/dL) was 1.80 (95%CI: 1.16–2.78) with higher uPDI. The ORs of hypertriglyceridemia (≥150 mg/dL) and metabolic syndrome were 0.38 (95%CI: 0.20–0.71) and 0.59 (95%CI: 0.35–0.97), respectively, with higher PDI. No other significant association was observed. Conclusions: Maintaining cardiometabolic risk factors within normal ranges is clinically relevant in BCS, and this may be more likely when a plant-based diet is consumed, especially if low in unhealthy plant foods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nutrition and Lifestyle Behaviors for the Prevention and Management of Cardiovascular Health)
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