JAMA Intern Med

What impact does dietary fat have on mortality risk?

August 15, 2024

The findings from this prospective cohort study show that increased plant fat intake, especially from vegetable oil and grains, lowered any-cause and CVD-specific fatalities. In contrast, a diet with a high intake of animal-based fat, especially from eggs and dairy products, was related to increased mortality risk.

• Data from 407,531 adults (57% male; mean age, 61 years) who participated in the NIH-AARP Diet and Health Study was used to determine the associations of dietary plant and animal fat intake with overall mortality and CVD mortality.
• During 8,107,711 person-years of follow-up, 185,111 deaths occurred, including 58,526 CVD deaths. A greater intake of plant fat, particularly fat from grains and vegetable oils, was associated with a lower risk for overall and CVD mortality. In contrast, a higher intake of total animal fat, or egg fat was associated with an increased risk for mortality for overall and CVD mortality.
• Replacing 5% of calories from animal fats with 5% from plant fat, particularly fat from grains or vegetable oils, reduced the risk for mortality by 4% to 24% and CVD-specific mortality by 5% to 30%.

Source:

Zhao B, et al. (2024, August 12). JAMA Intern Med. Plant and Animal Fat Intake and Overall and Cardiovascular Disease Mortality. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39133482/