Comparison of three different dietary scores in relation to 10-year mortality in elderly European subjects: the HALE project.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate and compare the associations between dietary patterns and mortality using different European indexes of overall dietary quality.


METHODS
The HALE (Healthy Ageing: a Longitudinal study in Europe) population includes 2,068 men and 1,049 women, aged between 70 and 90 years of 10 European countries. Subjects were followed for 10 years. This cohort study was conducted between 1988 and 2000.


RESULTS
During the follow-up period, 1,382 people died. The Mediterranean Diet Score (MDS) (HR: 0.82 with 95% CI: 0.75-0.91), the Mediterranean Adequacy Index (MDI) (HR: 0.83 with 95% CI: 0.75-0.92) and the Healthy Diet Indicator (HDI)(HR: 0.89 with 95% CI: 0.81-0.98) were inversely associated with all-causes mortality. Adjustments were made for age, gender, alcohol consumption, physical activity, smoking, number of years of education, body mass index, chronic diseases at baseline and study centre.


CONCLUSIONS
The MDS, the MDI and the HDI were significantly inversely related with mortality.


BACKGROUND
This study is based on data of the HALE project and supported by a grant from the European Union (QLK6-CT-2000-00211) to D Kromhout.
Knoops
K T B
KT
Division of Human Nutrition, Wageningen University, Wageningen, The Netherlands. Kim.Knoops@wur.nl
Groot de
L C
LC
Fidanza
F
F
Alberti-Fidanza
A
A
Kromhout
D
D
van Staveren
W A
WA
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D002423:Cause of Death; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D004032:Diet; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D005060:Europe; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D015438:Health Behavior; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D009026:Mortality; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking