Does Olive Oil Lower Cardiovascular Risk in U.S. Populations?

Olive oil, a staple of the Mediterranean diet, has long been touted for its salubrious benefits. However, studies demonstrating its health benefits have been exclusively conducted outside the U.S. Thus, investigators analyzed data on olive oil intake and cardiovascular disease (CVD) outcomes in two U.S.-based prospective cohort studies, the Nurses' Health Study (61,181 women) and the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (31,797 men), from 1990 to 2014. The primary CVD outcome was a composite of myocardial infarction, stroke, and fatal CVD.

Over an average follow-up of 24 years, 9797 CVD events occurred, and mean olive oil consumption increased. After adjustment for CVD risk factors, participants with a higher consumption of olive oil (>0.5 t…