Examining the Mediterranean Diet’s Effect on Blood Glucose, Lipids, and Heart Function in Elderly Individuals with T2DM and High-Risk Patients: A Systematic Review

Abstract

The Mediterranean diet, rich in plant-based foods and unsaturated fatty acids, has been linked to better metabolic health in prior observational studies. The complete analysis in this review focuses on its effects on blood sugar, blood lipid and cardiovascular function in elderly (≥55 years old) patients with type 2 diabetes or high-risk patients. By following the PRISMA framework, we searched the research of PubMed Central, Scopus and MDPI. We searched the randomized controlled trials published from 2011 to 2025. After observation, five studies were selected, and the number of subjects in each study ranged from 215 to 4746. The results showed that the Mediterranean diet regularly improved the blood sugar control index, adjusted the blood lipid profile, and reduced the cardiovascular risk of this population. Primary prevention research shows that the incidence of type 2 diabetes is reduced by 31-52% within 4-6 years, while secondary prevention research shows the improvement of inflammatory markers and lipid metabolism. These findings support that the Mediterranean diet is a powerful dietary strategy, which can improve the metabolic regulation and heart health of the elderly and high-risk groups with type 2 diabetes.