Influence of Changes in Diet Quality on Unhealthy Aging: The Seniors-ENRICA Cohort

Abstract

Background: Whether adopting a better diet in late life influences the aging process is still uncertain. Thus, we examined the association between changes in diet quality and unhealthy aging.

Methods: Data came from 2042 individuals aged ≥60 years recruited in the Seniors-ENRICA cohort in 2008-2010 (wave 0) and followed-up in 2012 (wave 1) and 2015 (wave 2). Diet quality was assessed with the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS), the Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS), and the Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010) at waves 0 and 1. Unhealthy aging was measured using a 52-item health deficit accumulation index with 4 domains (functional, self-rated health/vitality, mental health, and morbidity/health services use) at each wave. An increase in dietary indices represents a diet improvement, and a lower deficit accumulation index indicates a health improvement.

Results: Compared with participants with a >1-point decrease in MEDAS or MDS, those with a >1-point increase showed lower deficit accumulation from wave 0 to wave 2 (multivariate β, -1.49 [95% confidence interval (CI), -2.88 to -0.10], P-trend = .04 for MEDAS; and -2.20 [95% CI, -3.56 to -0.84], P-trend = .002 for MDS) and from wave 1 to wave 2 (-1.34 [95% CI, -2.60 to -0.09], P-trend = .04 for MEDAS). Also, participants with a >5-point increase in AHEI-2010 showed lower deficit accumulation from wave 0 to wave 1 (-1.15 [95% CI, -2.01 to -0.28], P-trend = .009) and from wave 0 to wave 2 (-1.21 [95% CI, -2.31 to -0.10], P-trend = .03) than those with a >5-point decrease. These results were mostly due to a strong association between improved diet quality and less functional deterioration.

Conclusions: In older adults, adopting a better diet was associated with less deficit accumulation, particularly functional deterioration. Improving dietary habits may delay unhealthy aging. Our results have clinical relevance because we have observed that the deficit accumulation index decreases an average of 0.74 annually.

Keywords: Aging; Cohort study; Dietary patterns.