A Feasibility Study of Tree Nut and Extra Virgin Olive Oil Supplementation to Improve Cardiometabolic Health

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a collection of at least three out of five cardiometabolic risk factors including abdominal obesity, hypertension, elevated blood glucose, hypertriglyceridemia, and low high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. MetS is a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease and is considered a state of prediabetes. Improving metabolic parameters through dietary, behavioral, and pharmacological interventions can improve or reverse MetS. For example, increased consumption of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and mixed nuts was shown to reduce cardiovascular event rates and reverse MetS in a 5-year study in Spain (PREDIMED study). However, lower levels of adherence to the PREDIMED intervention was found in participants with a higher number of cardiovascular risk factors, larger waist circumference, and lower physical activity levels at baseline. New strategies to convey one's risk of morbidity and mortality at the onset of a dietary intervention may improve intervention adherence, particularly among individuals meeting the criteria for MetS.

A greater DNA methylation-based predicted age relative to chronological age, often referred to as "epigenetic age acceleration", has been associated with many lifestyle factors, including physical activity and diet, as well as components of MetS, including obesity, blood pressure, HDL cholesterol and blood glucose levels.

The investigators hypothesize that the majority of people with MetS have advanced epigenetic aging, and among those that have advanced epigenetic age, learning one's epigenetic age, and epigenetic age-based predicted risk of morbidity and mortality at the onset of a dietary intervention will improve participant adherence to the dietary intervention. Further, the investigators hypothesize that EVOO and tree nut supplementation in participants with MetS and advanced epigenetic age could help reverse MetS and potentially slow epigenetic aging. Therefore, the investigators plan to conduct a feasibility pilot study to:

1. To determine the proportion of participants with MetS with epigenetic age acceleration
2. To assess adherence to daily EVOO and tree nut consumption over a 4-week intervention in participants informed of epigenetic age acceleration at baseline compared to the control group
3. Qualitatively explore how participants perceive epigenetic age, and how participants' experiences would impact the feasibility of a larger clinical intervention in terms of challenges and motivators
4. Compare epigenetic age acceleration before and after the 4-week intervention

For this study the investigators will recruit ~50 individuals with MetS aged 35 years or older. An in-person assessment visit will be scheduled for a morning time and participants will be asked to be fasting and will be instructed to bring their medications to the visit. Candidates will review the informed consent document at an in-person screening with study staff prior to beginning their participation. For all participants providing informed consent, who were fasting and met the MetS criteria at the initial in-person assessment visit, collected blood samples will be used to calculate epigenetic age acceleration. Other measures to be collected include body weight, height, waist circumference, blood pressure, and questionnaires about demographics, health history and health habits. Participants that meet the inclusion criteria during the in-person screening visit will be contacted to schedule a baseline intervention visit.