J Nutr. 2012 Aug;142(8):1547-53.
The Mediterranean diet score and mortality are inversely associated in adults living in the subarctic region.
Tognon G, Nilsson LM, Lissner L, Johansson I, Hallmans G, Lindahl B, Winkvist A.
Source
Public Health Epidemiology Unit, Department of Public Health and Community
Medicine, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. gianluca.tognon@gu.se
Abstract
The Mediterranean diet has been widely promoted and may be associated with
chronic disease prevention and a better overall health status. The aim of this
study was to evaluate whether the Mediterranean diet score inversely predicted
total or cause-specific mortality in a prospective population study in Northern
Sweden (Västerbotten Intervention Program). The analyses were performed in
77,151 participants (whose diet was measured by means of a validated FFQ) by Cox
proportional hazard models adjusted for several potential confounders. The
Mediterranean diet score was inversely associated with all-cause mortality in
men [HR = 0.96 (95% CI = 0.93, 0.99)] and women [HR = 0.95 (95% CI = 0.91,
0.99)], although not in obese men. In men, but not in women, the score was
inversely associated with total cancer mortality [HR = 0.92 (95% CI = 0.87,
0.98)], particularly for pancreas cancer [HR = 0.82 (95% CI = 0.68, 0.99)].
Cardiovascular mortality was inversely associated with diet only in women [HR =
0.90 (95% CI = 0.82, 0.99)]. Except for alcohol [HR = 0.83 (95% CI = 0.76,
0.90)] and fruit intake [HR = 0.90 (95% CI = 0.83, 0.98)], no food item of the
Mediterranean diet score independently predicted mortality. Higher scores were
associated with increasing age, education, and physical activity. Moreover,
healthful dietary and lifestyle-related factors additively decreased the
mortality likelihood. Even in a subarctic region, increasing Mediterranean diet
scores were associated with a longer life, although the protective effect of
diet was of small magnitude compared with other healthful dietary and
lifestyle-related factors examined.
PMID: 22739377 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]