Each 2-point increase in Mediterranean diet score linked to significantly lower all-cause mortality<\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter<\/b><\/p>\n
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WEDNESDAY, July 10, 2024 (HealthDay News) — For cancer survivors, higher adherence to a traditional Mediterranean diet (MD) is associated with a reduction in all-cause mortality, specifically cardiovascular mortality, according to a research letter published online July 2 in JACC: CardioOncology<\/em>.<\/p>\n Marialaura Bonaccio, Ph.D., from IRCCS Neuromed in Pozzilli, Italy, and colleagues clarified the role of a traditional MD with respect to mortality among Italian long-term cancer survivors. Data were obtained from the Moli-sani Study, a population-based cohort including 24,325 men and women aged 35 years and older. A total of 802 cancer survivors were included; dietary intake was assessed during the preceding 12 months using a semiquantitative food frequency questionnaire. An MD score (MDS) was used to measure adherence to a traditional MD.<\/p>\n The researchers found 248 all-cause deaths were recorded during 12.7 years of follow-up (9,279 person-years), including 59 cardiovascular deaths and 140 from cancer. Of the cardiovascular deaths, 25.4 and 23.7 percent were due to ischemic heart disease and cerebrovascular disease, respectively. Each 2-point increase in the MDS was associated with significantly lower all-cause mortality rates in multivariable-adjusted Cox regression analyses (hazard ratio [HR], 0.84; 95 percent confidence interval [CI], 0.71 to 0.99). After adjustment for variables associated with both the exposure and the outcomes, HRs per 2-point increment in the MDS were 0.69 (95 percent CI, 0.49 to 0.97) for cardiovascular disease mortality and 0.91 (95 percent CI, 0.73 to 1.12) for cancer death.<\/p>\n “Our findings suggest maintaining or adopting a traditional MD even after a cancer diagnosis may be beneficial,” the authors write.<\/p>\n