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06/08/2025 - Institutional news

Following a Healthy Diet Reduces the Risk of Chronic Diseases in Older Adults

According to a study by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, co-led by David Abbad-Gómez, researcher in the Epidemiology and Evaluation Research Group at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and a member of the RICAPPS research network on chronicity, primary care and health promotion (part of the Carlos III Health Institute), people who follow a balanced diet have between 9% and 19% fewer chronic diseases after 15 years.

Eating a healthy diet not only improves our health today-it also protects us in the future. A study by the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, with the participation of David Abbad-Gómez, researcher in the Epidemiology and Evaluation Research Group at the Hospital del Mar Research Institute and member of the RICAPPS research network of the Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII), reveals that individuals who adhere more closely to a healthy diet show a slower progression of chronic diseases.

Published in the journal Nature Aging, the study assessed the impact of four different diets on the accumulation of chronic diseases in older adults, using multimorbidity as an indicator. Over a period of 15 years, the researchers followed more than 2,400 older adults in Stockholm, Sweden. Participants who followed diets rich in vegetables, fruit, whole grains, nuts, legumes, unsaturated fats, and low in sweets, red and processed meats, butter, or margarine had between 9% and 19% fewer chronic conditions after 15 years.

David Abbad-Gómez

In contrast, the fourth diet-characterized by high intake of red and processed meats, refined grains, and sugary drinks, along with low intake of vegetables, tea, and coffee-was pro-inflammatory. Those who followed it "had a higher risk of developing chronic diseases, increasing the burden of multimorbidity by the end of the follow-up," explains David Abbad-Gómez. He conducted this research during his residency at the Teaching Unit of Preventive Medicine and Public Health at Hospital del Mar, Pompeu Fabra University, and the Public Health Agency of Barcelona. He is currently pursuing his doctoral thesis.

The positive effects of healthy diets were particularly significant for cardiovascular and neuropsychiatric diseases, although not for musculoskeletal conditions. Regarding cardiovascular disease, the protective effect was especially marked in women. Furthermore, one of the diets showed notable benefits in preventing neuropsychiatric disorders such as dementia and Parkinson's disease, particularly in older individuals. "These results reinforce the importance of diet in influencing the development of multimorbidity in aging populations and highlight the value of promoting healthy eating habits, even in advanced stages of life, to reduce the risk of serious and disabling diseases," adds David Abbad-Gómez.

Now, the researchers aim to identify which dietary recommendations have the greatest impact on longevity, and which groups of older adults may benefit most from them.

Reference article

'Dietary patterns and accelerated multimorbidity in older adults', David Abbad-Gomez, Adrián Carballo-Casla, Giorgi Beridze, Esther Lopez-Garcia, Fernando Rodríguez-Artalejo, Maria Sala, Mercè Comas, Davide Liborio Vetrano, Amaia Calderón-Larrañaga, Nature aging, online xx 2025, doi: 10.1038/s43587-025-00929-8

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