To explore the relationship between the dynamics of plant-based diets and mortality in Chinese older adults.

Based on the data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity and Happy Family Study (CLHLS), older adults who participated in the three surveys from 2011-2018 were selected. The HPDI and UPDI scores of the study participants were calculated in 2011 and 2014, respectively, and they were categorized into four groups based on the median of their two scores: low-low, low-high, high-low and high-high groups. Cox proportional risk regression models were used to analyze the relationship between the dynamics of plant-based diets and mortality in the elderly.

A total of 4 382 subjects were enrolled in this study, and 1 689 (38.5%) of them died during the 7-year follow-up period. The results of Cox proportional hazards regression model showed that after adjusting for confounding factors such as gender, age, and education, the risk of death in the high-high HPDI group was reduced by 17% (HR=0.83, 95% CI: 0.72-0.97), while the risk of death in the high-high UPDI group was increased by 29% (HR=1.29, 95% CI: 1.11-1.49).

Older adults who maintain a healthy plant-based diet have a lower risk of death.