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Association between a mediterranean lifestyle and Type 2 diabetes incidence: a prospective UK biobank study
Javier Maroto-Rodriguez1, Rosario Ortolá1,2, Adrián Carballo-Casla1,2,3
1Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, School of Medicine, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Calle del Arzobispo Morcillo 4, Madrid, 28029, Spain.
Background:
There is mounting evidence that the Mediterranean diet prevents type 2 diabetes, but little is known about the role of Mediterranean lifestyles other than diet and among non-Mediterranean populations. This work aimed to examine the association between a comprehensive Mediterranean-type lifestyle and type 2 diabetes incidence in a British adult population.
Methods:
We used data from 112,493 individuals free of cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus, aged 40-69 years, from the UK Biobank cohort, who were followed from 2009 to 2010 to 2021. The Mediterranean lifestyle was assessed through the 25-item MEDLIFE index, which comprises three blocks: (a) "Mediterranean food consumption", (b) "Mediterranean dietary habits", (c) "Physical activity, rest, social habits, and conviviality". Diabetes incidence was obtained from clinical records. Cox proportional-hazards regression models were used to analyze associations and adjusted for the main potential confounders.
Results:
After a median follow-up of 9.4 years, 2,724 cases of type 2 diabetes were ascertained. Compared to the first quartile of MEDLIFE adherence, the hazard ratios (95% confidence interval) for increasing quartiles of adherence were 0.90 (0.82-0.99), 0.80 (0.72-0.89) and 0.70 (0.62-0.79) (p-trend < 0.001). All three blocks of MEDLIFE were independently associated with lower risk of diabetes.
Conclusions:
Higher adherence to the MEDLIFE index was associated with lower risk of type 2 diabetes in the UK Biobank. A Mediterranean-type lifestyle, culturally adapted to non-Mediterranean populations, could help prevent diabetes.
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