Mediterranean Diet Associated with Lower Risk of Stroke in Women

Greater adherence to a Mediterranean-style dietary pattern was associated with a lower risk of stroke among women, according to a study published in Neurology Open Access. Although the association was observed for both ischemic and hemorrhagic strokes, the strongest reductions in risk were seen for ischemic stroke, particularly for the atherothrombotic and cardioembolic subtypes.

In the prospective cohort study, investigators evaluated the association between Mediterranean diet adherence and risk of stroke subtypes in 105,614 female participants. Dietary intake was assessed using validated food frequency questionnaires, and participants were assigned Mediterranean diet scores based on intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fish, and monounsaturated fats, along with lower intake of red meat and saturated fats. Incident strokes (4083 strokes) were identified via medical record review and classified by subtype (3358 ischemic strokes; 725 hemorrhagic strokes).

Key findings include the following:

• Across all stroke types, women with higher Mediterranean diet adherence (Mediterranean diet score of 6 to 9) showed lower risk of stroke compared with those with lower adherence (Mediterranean diet score of 0 to 2) (hazard ratio [HR], 0.82; 95% CI, 0.74 to 0.92)
• Women with higher Mediterranean diet adherence had a significantly lower risk of total ischemic stroke (HR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.75 to 0.95) and hemorrhagic stroke (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.97) compared with those with lower adherence.
• Higher Mediterranean diet adherence was associated with a reduced risk of atherothrombotic stroke (HR, 0.68; 95% CI, 0.50 to 0.92) and cardioembolic stroke (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.58 to 0.97).

Source: Sherzai AZ, Cauble EL, Spielfogel ES, et al. Mediterranean diet and the risk of stroke subtypes in women: the California Teachers Study. Neurol Open Access. 2026;2(1):e000062. doi:10.1212/WN9.0000000000000062.