By Dr. Priyom Bose, Ph.D. Reviewed by Lauren Hardaker Jun 24 2026 A 20-year study of more than 3,000 Greek adults found that people whose diets most closely resembled a plant-based Mediterranean eating pattern had substantially lower cardiovascular disease risk, while calorie-dense diets low in white meat were linked to worse long-term heart health outcomes. Study: Sustainable diets and long-term cardiovascular disease outcomes; insights from the 20-year follow-up ATTICA study (2002–2022).