THE IMPACT OF VEGETABLE AND FRUIT CONSUMPTION ON MORTALITY IN PERSONS AGED 65 YEARS AND OLDER: RESULTS OF A PROSPECTIVE COHORT CRYSTAL STUDY

Introduction: High consumption of vegetables and fruits is associated with a reduced risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes mellitus, cancer and all - causes mortality. However, most studies on the health benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption have traditionally focused on children, adolescents, young and middle-aged people, and only a few of them included older adults, and even more so did not take into account the geriatric status of the study participants.

Objective: To assess the effect of fruit and vegetable consumption on mortality in people aged 65 years and older.

Materials and methods: A prospective cohort study of a random sample of individuals aged 65 years and older (n=383). The main parameters of the study:Mini Nutritional Assessment anthropometry, clinical blood test, albumin, total protein, C-reactive protein, comprehensive geriatric assessment, 2.5 years of follow-up.

Results: The average age of the participants was 77.7 ± 5.7 years. The frequency of fruit and vegetable consumption was higher among women, compared with men – by 16.7% (95%CI: 1.5% - 33.6%). Consumption of 2 or more vegetables or fruits per day was associated with a reduced risk of death from all causes with HR (95%CI) after adjusting for gender, age of study participants, presence of malnourishment syndrome, amount of protein consumed, glasses drunk per day, BMI, reduced WMD, falls syndrome, cognitive status, loss of autonomy and a decrease in the level of physical functioning of 0.401 (0.180 - 0.896).

Conclusion: Consumption of 2 or more vegetables or fruits per day was independently associated with a 59.9% reduction in the risk of death from all causes in persons aged 65 years and older