Healthy Eating Patterns Linked to Lower Mortality

A prospective US cohort study with up to 36 years of follow-up concluded that greater adherence to several healthy eating patterns was associated with a lower risk of total and cause-specific mortality. The study included 75 230 women (1984-2020, mean baseline age, 50.2 years) and 44 085 men (1986-2020, mean baseline age, 53.3 years), most were white. During a total of 3 559 056 person-years of follow-up, 31 263 women and 22 900 men died. When comparing the highest with the lowest quintiles, the pooled multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios of total mortality were 0.81 for Healthy Eating Index 2015, 0.82 for Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED) score, 0.86 for Healthful Plant-based Diet Index, and 0.80 for Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI). All dietary scores were significantly inversely associated with death from cardiovascular disease, cancer, and respiratory disease. The AMED score and AHEI were inversely associated with mortality from neurodegenerative disease. The inverse associations between these scores and risk of mortality were consistent in different racial and ethnic groups, including Hispanic, non-Hispanic Black, and non-Hispanic White individuals. These findings support the recommendations of Dietary Guidelines for Americans that multiple healthy eating patterns can be adapted to individual food traditions and preferences. These healthy dietary patterns typically include high amounts of plant foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes, and lower amounts of refined grains, added sugars, sodium, and red and processed meats. It is also critical to balance caloric intake with physical activity to maintain a healthy weight. Source: https://jamanetwork.com/