People more vulnerable to ill-effects of poor diet during midlife

Keeping a poor diet during midlife heightens the risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D), a recent study has found.

The study included 2,818 participants, of whom, at baseline, 674 were classified as young (aged 20–24 years), 1,018 were in midlife (aged 40–44 years), and 1,126 were in late-life (aged 60–64 years). Self-reported dietary habits were assessed and diabetes incidence was monitored over 12 years of follow-up.

Linear modelling found that dietary patterns, physical activity, and body mass index (BMI) differed across age groups. The youngest participants, for example, adhered significantly more to a Western diet, characterized by an abundance of sugary, fatty, and processed foods compared to the midlife group. In contrast, they were less likely to have a Prudent diet rich in lean meat, fish, unprocessed grains, and fruits and vegetables.

Those in late-life, on the other hand, were more likely to keep a Prudent diet, have lower BMI, and be more physically active than their midlife comparators.

Unadjusted analyses found that a Western dietary pattern was significantly correlated with T2D incidence, particularly among midlife participants, while a Prudent diet was protective.

However, adjusting for potential confounders, such as total caloric intake, smoking, body mass index, and physical activity, attenuated these interactions. In the fully adjusted Cox survival hazard models, neither dietary pattern was tied to T2D risk, nor were any age group.

“Although protective effects did not reach significance, higher Prudent dietary intake was consistently [associated] with lower T2D incidence across all cohorts,” the researchers said.

“This could possibly be because, regardless of digestive or metabolic efficiency, properties such as high dietary fibre or low refined carbohydrate availability invariably result in lower postprandial blood glucose than foods typical in the Western dietary pattern,” they added.