MEDIMACS

Coronary atherosclerosis is a leading cause of mortality and disability worldwide. Continuous efforts are needed to improve secondary prevention and understand the mechanism underlying disease progression. Based on primary prevention trials, a potential benefit of the Mediterranean diet after an acute coronary syndrome can be anticipated. The integrated microbiome-mediated/immunologic and metabolic pathways by which the Mediterranean diet modifies cardiovascular risk remain mostly unknown. Intestinal and oral dysbiosis is involved in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and microbiome dynamics may account for some of the observed benefits of Mediterranean diet.Our first objective is to evaluate the effects of a well-controlled Mediterranean diet intervention on atherosclerotic plaque vulnerability and coronary endothelial dysfunction after an episode of acute coronary syndrome. The second objective is to decipher the interplays among diet, microbiota, immunity and metabolism responsible for the observed effects. We propose a randomized mechanistic clinical trial, using state-of-the-art efficacy read-outs. The multidisciplinary consortium includes highly experienced cardiologists, nutritionists and experts in translational research in immunology, microbiomics, genomics, proteomics, metabolomics and metagenomics. This study will provide valuable insights to identify potential microbiome therapeutic targets for coronary artery disease.