Relationship between eating patterns meeting recommendations and subsequent mortality in 20 years.
OBJECTIVE
Study of the relationships of conformity to dietary recommendations and subsequent rates of total mortality and mortality from specific causes.


METHODS
Prospective investigation of risk factors related to cardiovascular disease.


METHODS
Two Italian rural cohorts of the Seven Countries Study.


METHODS
The study populations are defined samples from two villages, Crevalcore in Northern Italy and Montegiorgio in Central Italy. The examination in 1965, which included an individual dietary survey, involved 1538 men aged 45-64 years. The 20-year follow-up system was able to track every participant.


RESULTS
Conformity to recommended levels of intake of carbohydrates (55-75% of calories) is associated to the relative risks: 0.84 (0.68-1.03) for total mortality, 0.73 (0.50-1.07) for cancer mortality, 1.34 (0.90-1.99) for coronary heart disease mortality. Relative risks for other nutrients are reported.


CONCLUSIONS
Overall, recommended levels of intake of macronutrients are associated with lower total mortality, but are not equally appropriate for specific causes of death, cancer and coronary heart disease. Diet-associated differences in mortality persisted after adjustment for confounding by age, smoking habit and physical activity. In this population, intakes meeting the principal recommendations (total carbohydrate and total fat) seem to involve automatically meeting the other recommendations.


BACKGROUND
Research partly supported by the project 'ACRO-clinical uses of Oncological Research' (contract 93.02289.PF39) and by the project 'FATMA-Risk Factors and Disease Control' (contract 93.00773.PF41) of the Italian National Research Council, CNR.
Farchi
G
G
Laboratorio di Epidemiologia e Biostatistica, Istituto Superiore di Sanità, Rome, Italy.
Fidanza
F
F
Grossi
P
P
Lancia
A
A
Mariotti
S
S
Menotti
A
A
D000328:Adult; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000401:mortality; D002423:Cause of Death; D004032:Diet; D004034:Diet Surveys; D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009026:Mortality; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D012423:Rural Health
D004040:Dietary Carbohydrates