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Traditional Mediterranean diet and longevity in the elderly: a review

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2007

Antonia Trichopoulou
Antonia Trichopoulou*
Affiliation:
Department of Hygiene and Epidemiology, School of Medicine, University of Athens, 75 M. Asias Street, GR-115 27, Athens, Greece
*
*Corresponding author: Email [email protected]
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Abstract

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Objective:

To review the evidence that the traditional Mediterranean diet is associated with longevity.

Setting:

Elderly persons of both genders in Greece, Spain, Denmark and Australia studied by different groups of investigators.

Methods:

Adherence to the principles of the Mediterranean diet was operationalised through a score devised a priori, and study participants were followed up until death or the end of the study. Proportional hazard models were used.

Results:

Closer adherence to the Mediterranean diet was associated with a significant decrease in general mortality among the elderly persons studied.

Conclusion:

The Mediterranean diet is positively associated with longevity among the elderly. If the assumption holds that there is no interaction between age and diet with respect to general mortality, it can be inferred that the traditional Mediterranean diet represents a healthy nutritional pattern.

Keywords

Mediterranean dietScoreLongevity
Type
Research Article
Information
Public Health Nutrition , Volume 7 , Issue 7 , October 2004 , pp. 943 - 947
Copyright
Copyright © The Authors 2004

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