Association between the Mediterranean Diet Score and Healthy Life Expectancy: A Global Comparative Study.

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Nutritional Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• Extending healthy life expectancy (HALE) is a global health priority.
• The Mediterranean diet is associated with numerous health benefits.
• Understanding the global impact of dietary patterns on longevity is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between the Mediterranean diet score (MDS) and life expectancy (LE).
• To examine the relationship between the MDS and HALE globally.
• To analyze both cross-sectional and longitudinal data for these associations.

Main Methods:

• Utilized data from 130 countries with populations over 1 million.
• Calculated MDS based on food supply data from the FAOSTAT database.
• Employed linear mixed models to assess associations between MDS and LE/HALE, controlling for covariates.

Main Results:

• A significant positive association was found between MDS and LE (β=0.906, p=0.037) in cross-sectional analysis.
• MDS was significantly positively associated with HALE (β=0.875, p=0.011) cross-sectionally.
• Longitudinal analysis confirmed positive associations: MDS with LE (β=0.621, p=0.030) and HALE (β=0.694, p=0.004).

Conclusions:

• Countries with higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet demonstrate a positive association with healthy life expectancy.
• The findings support the Mediterranean diet as a beneficial dietary pattern for promoting longevity and healthspan globally.
• Further research can explore mechanisms linking the Mediterranean diet to improved health outcomes.