Healthy Eating Patterns and Risk of Total and Cause-Specific Mortality

The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend multiple healthy eating patterns. However, few studies have examined the associations of adherence to different dietary patterns with long-term risk of total and cause-specific mortality.

To examine the associations of dietary scores for 4 healthy eating patterns with risk of total and cause-specific mortality. Design, Setting, and Participants: This prospective cohort study included initially healthy women from the Nurses' Health Study (NHS; 1984-2020) and men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (HPFS; 1986-2020). Exposures: Healthy Eating Index 2015 (HEI-2015), Alternate Mediterranean Diet (AMED) score, Healthful Plant-based Diet Index (HPDI), and Alternate Healthy Eating Index (AHEI). Main Outcomes and Measures: The main outcomes were total and cause-specific mortality overall and stratified by race and ethnicity and other potential risk factors.