New 2025 Guidelines Emphasize Lifestyle & Targeted Nutrition Alongside Traditional Cholesterol Management
ROME, ITALY – Emerging 2025 guidelines for managing high cholesterol are placing renewed emphasis on lifestyle interventions – including diet and exercise – even for patients already on medication, according to leading Italian health experts. The recommendations, building on decades of cardiovascular research, acknowledge the continued importance of pharmaceutical interventions but highlight the synergistic benefits of a holistic approach.
“An active life, maintaining a healthy diet, certainly not smoking: all this is the basis of every indication to take care of their hearts, even in subjects who take drugs for cholesterol or who have already had cardiovascular problems,” says an unnamed expert. A cornerstone of the dietary recommendations centers around a Mediterranean-style nutrition plan, characterized by a robust intake of carbohydrates, limited saturated fats (found in foods like butter, salami, and cheeses), and a focus on whole products, vegetables, fruit, and fish.
Nutritionist monica Giroli notes that specific foods can contribute to modest reductions in LDL cholesterol when incorporated into a balanced diet. “For example oat and barley, thanks to betaglucans, limit the intestinal absorption of cholesterol, while garlic and artichoke can modulate the liver synthesis of cholesterol, also offering additional benefits such as the reduction of blood pressure and an action antioxidant.”
Further dietary recommendations include regular consumption of green tea, which exhibits a modest lipid-lowering and antioxidant affect, as well as walnuts, flax seeds, and dried fruit. These are rich in unsaturated fatty acids, fiber, and phytochemicals, demonstrating a positive impact on lipid profiles and cardiovascular health through combined anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects.
The guidelines also point to the emerging role of gut health, advocating for the inclusion of probiotics and prebiotics to improve the balance of the intestinal microbiome, potentially influencing cholesterol metabolism – though research is ongoing to pinpoint the most effective strains.
