Article Impact Level: HIGH Data Quality: STRONG Summary of: BMC Public Health, 25(1), 1761. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22479-9 Dr. Victoria Chen et al. Summary of BMC Medicine, 23(1), 287. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-025-04067-1 Dr. Meaghan E. Kavanagh et al.
Points
- An extensive U.S. cohort study found that higher adherence to the Portfolio Diet significantly reduced risks of cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and all-cause mortality across various age groups.
- An 8-point increase in Portfolio Diet Score corresponded to a 12 percent reduction in cardiovascular mortality and a 14 percent reduction in coronary heart disease mortality, demonstrating a strong protective effect.
- Participants in the highest tertile of adherence had up to 18 percent lower CHD risk and 16 percent lower CVD risk, reinforcing the diet’s benefits at greater compliance levels.
- A second study in young adults showed that even small increases in Portfolio Diet adherence were linked to measurable reductions in LDL cholesterol and blood pressure, indicating early cardiovascular protection.
- Modeling predicted that 50 percent adherence could delay cardiovascular risk onset by six years, while full adherence could delay it by up to thirteen years, underscoring the diet’s preventative potential.
Summary
Two studies highlight the benefits of the Portfolio Diet in reducing cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk across different age groups. The first study, published in BMC Medicine, examined a cohort of 14,835 U.S. adults and found that greater adherence to the Portfolio Diet significantly lowered the risk of CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD), and all-cause mortality. Increases in the Portfolio Diet Score (PDS) by 8 points were associated with a 12% reduction in CVD (hazard ratio [HR] 0.88, 95% CI: 0.78–0.99), 14% reduction in CHD (HR 0.86, 95% CI: 0.78–0.96), and 12% reduction in all-cause mortality (HR 0.88, 95% CI: 0.82–0.95). Additionally, participants in the highest tertile of PDS had 16% lower CVD risk (HR 0.84, 95% CI: 0.73–0.98), 18% lower CHD risk (HR 0.82, 95% CI: 0.72–0.95), and 14% lower all-cause mortality risk (HR 0.86, 95% CI: 0.78–0.96).
The second study, published in BMC Public Health, focused on 1,507 young adults aged 23 with diverse ethnocultural backgrounds. This study demonstrated that adherence to the Portfolio Diet was associated with significant reductions in LDL cholesterol, non-HDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and blood pressure. Specifically, a 1-point increase in the Portfolio Diet Score was linked to reductions in LDL-C (β = −0.009 mmol/L, 95% CI: −0.016 to −0.002, P = 0.013), systolic blood pressure (β = −0.150 mmHg, 95% CI: −0.250 to −0.050, P = 0.003), and diastolic blood pressure (β = −0.133 mmHg, 95% CI: −0.219 to −0.046, P = 0.003). Modeling suggested that 50% adherence to the Portfolio Diet could delay the onset of rising cardiovascular risk by six years, while full adherence could delay it by up to 13 years.
Both studies underscore the long-term cardiovascular benefits of the Portfolio Diet. The first highlights its impact on mortality, and the second emphasizes its potential for early intervention in young adults to delay the onset of cardiovascular disease.
Links to the articles:
https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-025-04067-1
https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12889-025-22479-9
References Chen, V., Chiavaroli, L., Glenn, A. J., Kavanagh, M. E., Zeitoun, T., Mahdavi, S., Kendall, C. W. C., Jenkins, D. J. A., El-Sohemy, A., & Sievenpiper, J. L. (2025). Portfolio diet and LDL-C in a young, multiethnic cohort: Cross-sectional analyses with cumulative exposure modeling. BMC Public Health, 25(1), 1761. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-025-22479-9 Kavanagh, M. E., Zurbau, A., Glenn, A. J., Oguntala, J. O., Josse, R. G., Malik, V. S., Chiavaroli, L., Liu, S., Kendall, C. W. C., Jenkins, D. J. A., & Sievenpiper, J. L. (2025). The portfolio dietary pattern and risk of cardiovascular disease mortality during 1988–2019 in US adults: A prospective cohort study. BMC Medicine, 23(1), 287. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12916-025-04067-1
