The Mediterranean diet is included among dietary patterns that may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases. A 2013 Cochrane review found limited evidence that a Mediterranean diet favorably affects cardiovascular risk factors.

The research concluded that Mediterranean, low-carbohydrate, low-glycemic index, and high-protein diets are effective in improving markers of risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes, while there was limited evidence for an effect of vegetarian diets on glycemic control and lipid levels unrelated to weight loss. However, more cautious reviews arose in early 2016, raising concerns about the quality of previous systematic reviews examining the impact of a Mediterranean diet on cardiovascular risk factors.

These reviews insisted upon the need for further standardized research,[21] stating that the evidence for possible prevention of cardiovascular disease by the diet was "limited and highly variable".