Unsaturated fatty acids intake and all-causes mortality: a 8.5-year follow-up of the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging.
Recent evidence suggested a protective role of dietary monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) intakes against several chronic diseases and, therefore, an increased human longevity. After a median follow-up of 8.5 years, we investigated the possible role of MUFA, PUFA, and other selected food groups in protecting against all-causes mortality in a population-based, prospective study, conducted in one of the eight centers of the Italian Longitudinal Study on Aging (ILSA), Casamassima, Bari, Italy. Out of 704 elderly subjects (65-84 years), 278 nondemented persons agreed to participate at the first survey (1992-1993). During the follow-up, there were 91 deaths. A semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire evaluating macronutrient daily intakes were performed at the first survey. Higher MUFA intake was associated with an increase of survival (hazard ratio 0.81, 95% CI 0.66-0.99), a higher unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) to SFA ratio (hazard ratio 1.20, 95% CI 0.99-1.45) increased total mortality only marginally, while no effect about other selected food groups were found. In conclusion, in this prospective study on older nondemented subjects with a typical Mediterranean diet, a higher MUFA intake increased survival, while a higher UFA/SFA ratio increased total mortality, but only marginally.
Solfrizzi
Vincenzo
V
Department of Geriatrics, Center for Lipoprotein Metabolism, University of Bari Policlinico, Piazza G. Cesare, 11-70124 Bari, Italy. v.solfrizzi@geriatria.uniba.it
D'Introno
Alessia
A
Colacicco
Anna M
AM
Capurso
Cristiano
C
Palasciano
Rosa
R
Capurso
Sabrina
S
Torres
Francesco
F
Capurso
Antonio
A
Panza
Francesco
F
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging; D004034:Diet Surveys; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality
D004042:Dietary Fats, Unsaturated; D005229:Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated; D005231:Fatty Acids, Unsaturated