Article Impact Level: HIGH Data Quality: STRONG Summary of JAMA Internal Medicine, 183(2), 142–153. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.6117 Dr. Zhilei Shan et al.
Points
- The study involved 75,230 women from the Nurses’ Health Study and 44,085 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study. It spanned from 1984 to 2020 for women and from 1986 to 2020 for men, examining the impact of adherence to four healthy eating patterns on mortality.
- The four dietary patterns analyzed were the Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015), Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED) score, Healthful Plant-based Diet Index (HPDI), and Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI).
- Over 3,559,056 person-years of follow-up, 31,263 women and 22,900 men died, with higher adherence to these dietary patterns significantly associated with reduced total mortality risk.
- The pooled multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for total mortality for the highest versus lowest quintiles of adherence were 0.81 for HEI-2015, 0.82 for AMED, 0.86 for HPDI, and 0.80 for AHEI, also showing inverse associations with deaths from cardiovascular diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases, and neurodegenerative diseases (for AMED and AHEI).
Summary
In a longitudinal cohort study involving 75,230 women from the Nurses’ Health Study and 44,085 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, researchers assessed the impact of adherence to various recommended dietary patterns on total and cause-specific mortality. Spanning from 1984 to 2020 for women and from 1986 to 2020 for men, the study evaluated the associations of four healthy eating patterns—Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015), Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED) score, Healthful Plant-based Diet Index (HPDI), and Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI)—with mortality outcomes. Participants were initially healthy adults who provided comprehensive dietary data, allowing for a nuanced analysis of diet quality and its long-term health impacts.
Over 3,559,056 person-years of follow-up, a substantial number of participants died: 31,263 women and 22,900 men. The analysis revealed significant associations between higher adherence to these dietary indices and reduced mortality risk. Specifically, the pooled multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) for total mortality for the highest versus lowest quintiles of adherence were 0.81 (95% CI, 0.79-0.84) for HEI-2015, 0.82 (95% CI, 0.79-0.84) for AMED, 0.86 (95% CI, 0.83-0.89) for HPDI, and 0.80 (95% CI, 0.77-0.82) for AHEI. These diets were also inversely associated with deaths due to cardiovascular diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases, and, in the case of AMED and AHEI, neurodegenerative diseases.
The findings from this study underline the consistent benefits of following dietary guidelines that promote multiple healthy eating patterns, affirming their role in reducing mortality risks across various causes. Notably, these health benefits were uniform across different racial and ethnic groups, reinforcing the adaptability of these dietary recommendations to diverse cultural and personal food preferences. This study supports the integration of flexible, culturally sensitive dietary guidelines into public health policies aimed at enhancing longevity and reducing disease-specific mortality.
Link to the article: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2800411
References Errors in the Figure. (2023). JAMA Internal Medicine, 183(6), 627. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2023.0931 Shan, Z., Wang, F., Li, Y., Baden, M. Y., Bhupathiraju, S. N., Wang, D. D., Sun, Q., Rexrode, K. M., Rimm, E. B., Qi, L., Tabung, F. K., Giovannucci, E. L., Willett, W. C., Manson, J. E., Qi, Q., & Hu, F. B. (2023). Healthy Eating Patterns and Risk of Total and Cause-Specific Mortality. JAMA Internal Medicine, 183(2), 142–153. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.6117
