Prof. Ramon Estruch, MD, PhD | Internal Medicine Department of the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, Spain

Professor Ramon Estruch is Senior Consultant at the Internal Medicine Department of the Hospital Clinic (Barcelona). He also is Professor at the Barcelona University, Member of the Board of Directors of the CIBER Obesity and Nutrition, Institute of Health “Carlos III” (ISCIII), Government of Spain and Scientific Director of the Mediterranean Diet Foundation at Barcelona.

The main research lines developed are the following: 1) Cardiovascular effects of Mediterranean diet; 2) Mechanisms of the effects of moderate wine and beer intake: Effects on the expression and function of cellular and endothelial adhesion molecules related to development of atherosclerosis; 3) Effects of chronic alcohol consumption on heart, liver and brain; 4) Effects of olive oil, nuts and cocoa in lipid profile and inflammatory biomarkers related to atherosclerosis and 5) Physiopathology and Novel treatments of Aging.

In the last years, his group has received grants from the European Commission, National Institute of Health (NIH and NIAAA) from USA, CICYT, Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agroalimentaria (INIA) del Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS) and Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII). In addition, Prof. Estruch is the leader of the Thematic Network “Mediterranean Diet and Cardiovascular Disease” from the ISCIII.

Thirty years ago we started a research program on the toxic effect of alcohol on cardiovascular (N Engl J Med 1989, Ann Intern Med 1994; JAMA 1995, Arch Inter Med 1995) and central nervous systems (Arch Neurol.1995; Ann Neurol.1997). At 1994, a new research program on effects of key foods (alcoholic beverages) on atherosclerosis started. First, we analyzed the effects of alcoholic beverages on adhesion molecules related with the development of atherosclerosis (Alcohol Clin Exp Res 1998 and 1999; Thromb Haemost 2002). Moderate consumption of red wine reduces serum inflammatory markers related to atherosclerosis (Atherosclerosis 2004), ex-vivo adhesion of human monocytes on an endothelial line (Am J Clin Nutr 2004) and oxidative stress parameters (Nutr Metab Cardiovasc Dis. 2010). He also has analyzed the effects of beer intake in classical and novel cardiovascular risk factors (J Nutr 2013, Atherosclerosis 2014, Nutr Metan Cardiovasc Dis. 2014).

In 2003, we have started an ambitious study (PREDIMED) to evaluate the effects of a Mediterranean Diet and its main components on the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease in high-risk patients, which have enrolled near 7.500 participants. The study finished at the end of 2010 and their main results have been published in top journals, including New England Journal of Medicine (2013,2018), JAMA (2014), Ann Intern Med (2006,2014), Circulation (2015), Lancet Diabetes Endocrinol (2016,2018), JAMA Intern Med (2014,2015), JAMA Ophtalmol (2016), Arch Intern Med (2007, 2008), Am J Clin Nutr (2009, 2012,2013,2014,2015,2016,2017, 2018,2020,2021), J Nutr (2010,2011,2012,2013, 2014,2015,2016), Diabetes Care (2011,2012,2013,2014,2015,2019) and PloS One (2012, 2013, 2014, 2015,2017).

Actually, he is Member of the Steering Committee of the:

• PREDIMED PLUS study, a new intervention trial that aims to evaluate the effects of a hypocaloric Mediterranean diet, plus an active exercise program and behavioral strategy on body weight, adiposity parameters and cardiovascular events in more than 6,612 patients diagnosed of metabolic syndrome (JAMA 2019, Diabertes Care 2019; Am J Clin Nutr. 2022,2021,2020; Clin Nutr. 2022,2021,2020.
• MEDCARS studies, included a prospective cohort study of 14,000 workers of the SEAT car factories and a 8-month workplace-based Mediterranean lifestyle intervention on cardiovascular risk factors, as well as emotional and sleep health, in 533 automobile workers from two SEAT factories.
• IMPACT triaa ( Improving Mothers for a better PrenAtal Care trial), a randomized clinical trial with a parallel group conducted at a University Hospital in Barcelona, Spain (2017–2020) including 1221 pregnant women at high risk for SGA randomly allocated at 19–23 weeks’ gestation into three groups: an MD intervention, a stress reduction program or non-intervention (JAMA 2021; Trials 2021).
• SI¡ Program for Secondary Schools on Cardiovascular Health of Adolescents: A Cluster Randomized Trial in Barcelona and Madrid (Spain) that included 1326 teenagers from 24 schools.

All these studies are being performed in collaboration with foreign universities such as: Columbia University in New York, Loma Linda University in California, Harvard School of Public Health in Massachusetts, Human Nutrition Research Centre in Tufts University, Massachusetts, USA and Mario Negri Sud, Santa Maria d’Imbaro, Italy.

He has published 636 manuscripts in peer-review Journals.

The years 2018, 2019, 2020 i 2021 he has been named as “Highly Cited Researcher” by Claryvate Analytics). The “h” index is 98. Among the different awards, it should be highlighted three: Josep Trueta Award 2020 by the Medical Sciences Academy of Catalonia and Balears Islands es i la Salut de Catalunya i Balears (Barcelona), the “David Kritchesky Award” related to the EPI/LIFESTYLE 2016 Scientific Sessions of the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (Phoenix, AZ, USA) and Award of Estrategia NAOS 2014 for his contribution to improve by dietary habits an nutrition in Spain – Ministry of Health, Social Services and Equality, Government of Spain.