Dr Mozaffarian was a panelist for the Forum’s discussions on Sugar, Salt and Supplements and Why We Overeat.
Dariush Mozaffarian’s research interests are the effects of behavior and lifestyle, particularly dietary habits, on primary risk and secondary prevention of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.
Areas of specific interest include:
1. Effects of omega-3 and trans fatty acids on cardiovascular outcomes, intermediary phenotypes, and metabolic and physiologic pathways. Current projects include a large NIH-funded study to evaluate relationships of plasma phospholipid fatty acid biomarkers with multiple intermediary CVD risk factors and disease outcomes; and OPERA, a large multinational RCT of fish oil for prevention of atrial fibrillation in the U.S., Italy, and Argentina.
2. Policy issues related to fat consumption in developed and developing nations. Projects include work on the American Heart Association Trans Fat Initiative; the Task Force on Trans Fat Free Americas, Pan American Health Organization; and the United Nations FAO / WHO Expert Consultation on Fats and Fatty Acids in Human Nutrition to develop global recommendations for consumption of fats and fatty acids.
3. Quantitative analyses of risks and benefits of fish consumption. Current projects include a large NIH-funded study to evaluate relationships and interactions between mercury exposure, selenium intake, fish consumption, and incidence of CHD and stroke in men and women.
4. Global cardiovascular health. Current projects include leadership of the Nutrition in Chronic Diseases Expert Group of the Gates Foundation / WHO Global Burden of Disease project, to define the worldwide burden of chronic diseases related to nutritional risk factors; the development of a randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of a polypill-polylifestyle intervention to reduce incidence of CVD and diabetes in developing/transitional nations; and collaboration on a Doris Duke planning grant to develop a comprehensive CVD prevention community-based intervention in Tanzania to reduce CVD risk and combat cardiometabolic consequences of the epidemiologic transition.
5. The combined impact of multiple dietary and other lifestyle behaviors on cardiovascular and metabolic risk. Current projects include the effects of clinical and lifestyle risk factors, including the Mediterranean diet, on incidence of diabetes and impaired fasting glucose following myocardial infarction; and the combined effects of lifestyle risk factors on incidence of diabetes in older adults.
