Increasing the frequency of plant-based food intake in daily diets reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease among elderly Chinese: a cohort study.

Objective: There is limited research on the relationship between the frequency of plant-based food intake and the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) among elderly Chinese. This study aims to evaluate the association between plant-based dietary index (PDI) and CVD risks, providing evidence for elderly Chinese to reduce CVD risks by increasing the frequency of plant-based food consumption.

Methods: This study analyzed data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS) 2011-2018, employing a multivariate modified Poisson regression model, trend tests, and restricted cubic spline (RCS) analysis to assess the linear and non-linear relationship between the PDI and CVD risks. Subgroup analyses and interaction tests were conducted to evaluate the robustness and population-specificity of the results.

Results: This study included a total of 1,414 elderly Chinese, and at the end of follow-up, 487 participants had developed CVD. The multivariate modified Poisson regression model revealed a negative association between PDI and CVD risks [RR = 0.983, 95%CI = (0.970, 0.997)]. Similarly, the multivariate trend test ( = 0.031) and RCS analysis ( for nonlinear = 0.600) indicated a linear relationship between PDI and CVD risks. Subgroup analyses showed that the relationship between PDI and CVD risk was not influenced by gender, BMI, smoking, alcohol use, or exercise.

Conclusion: The PDI was negatively correlated with CVD risks, indicating that increasing the frequency of plant-based food intake in the diet may reduce CVD risks among elderly Chinese.