[Nutritional recommendations and risk of death from all causes]

This study evaluated the relationship between meeting the Nutrition Recommendations and mortality from all causes in a cohort of 1,623 men from the Quebec City area followed from 1985 to 1991. The usual dietary intake was assessed by a self-administered semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaire. Most participants did not meet the Nutrition Recommendations. During the follow-up 69 men died. The mortality was significantly lower among those who did not meet the recommendations for total fat (RR = 0.45, CI: 0.25-0.81) or for carbohydrates (RR = 0.49, CI: 0.26-0.92). This unexpected result could be attributable to an excessive alcohol intake or to dietary changes in the direction of the Nutrition Recommendations, made prior to the dietary assessment often because of illness. It would be interesting to continue the follow-up of this cohort to evaluate the long-term effect of a diet meeting the Nutrition Recommendations on mortality from all causes.