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. 2012 May;60(5):862-8.
doi: 10.1111/j.1532-5415.2012.03924.x.

Fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity, and mortality in older community-dwelling women

Emily J Nicklett  1 , Richard D Semba, Qian-Li Xue, Jing Tian, Kai Sun, Anne R Cappola, Eleanor M Simonsick, Luigi Ferrucci, Linda P Fried
Affiliations

Fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity, and mortality in older community-dwelling women

Emily J Nicklett et al. J Am Geriatr Soc. 2012 May.

Abstract

Objectives: To examine the relationship between fruit and vegetable intake, physical activity, and all-cause mortality in older women.

Design: Six Cox proportional hazards models examined independent and additive relationships between physical activity, carotenoids, and all-cause mortality. Additional models tested whether physical activity and carotenoids were conjointly related to mortality. Models were adjusted for age, education, and race and ethnicity.

Setting: Baltimore, Maryland.

Participants: Seven hundred thirteen women aged 70 to 79 participating in the Women's Health and Aging Studies.

Measurements: Total serum carotenoids, a marker of fruit and vegetable intake, and physical activity were measured at baseline. Physical activity was measured according to kilocalorie expenditure.

Results: During 5 years of follow-up, 82 (11.5%) participants died. Measured continuously, physical activity improved survival (HR = 0.52, 95% CI = 0.41-0.66, P < .001). The most active women were more likely to survive than the least physically active women (HR = 0.28, 95% CI = 0.13-0.59, P < .001). Continuous measures of carotenoids improved survival (HR = 0.67, 95% CI = 0.51-0.89, P = .01). Women in the highest tertile of total carotenoids were more likely to survive those in the lowest (HR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.27-0.91, P = .03). When examined in the same model, continuous measures of physical activity (HR = 0.54, 95% CI = 0.42-0.68, P < .001) and carotenoids (HR = 0.76, 95% CI = 0.59-0.98, P = .04) predicted survival during follow-up.

Conclusion: The combination of low total serum carotenoids and low physical activity, both modifiable risk factors, strongly predicted earlier mortality. These findings provide preliminary support that higher fruit and vegetable intake and exercise improve survival.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest: The editor in chief has reviewed the conflict of interest checklist provided by the authors and has determined that the authors have no financial or any other kind of personal conflicts with this paper.

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