Consuming a diet rich in healthy plant-based foods and beverages may reduce the risk of premature death.
People with cardiometabolic disorders, such as obesity, diabetes, and heart disease, may significantly improve their chances of living longer by following a healthy plant-based diet, according to new research being presented at the American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session (ACC.25).
Unlike earlier studies that examined the effects of plant-based diets in the general population, this is the first to specifically evaluate their impact on individuals with cardiometabolic conditions, which are becoming increasingly common worldwide and are linked to a higher risk of early death.
“Among populations with cardiometabolic disorders, higher adherence to a healthful plant-based diet was significantly associated with a lower risk of total, cardiovascular and cancer mortality,” said Zhangling Chen, MD, PhD, of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine at the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in Changsha, China, and the study’s lead author. “More intake of healthy plant-based foods, less intake of unhealthy plant-based foods, and less intake of animal-based foods are all important.”
Cardiometabolic disorders result from a combination of genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. They impact both cardiovascular health and the body’s ability to process food effectively. Although medications can help manage these conditions, diet and other lifestyle choices play a crucial role in preventing their progression to more serious diseases, including advanced heart disease and certain types of cancer.
Large-Scale Global Study
Researchers analyzed data from nearly 78,000 people with cardiometabolic disorders who participated in large prospective studies in the United Kingdom, United States, and China. The pooled datasets included 55,000 adults from the U.K. Biobank (UKB) between 2006-2022, 18,000 U.S. adults from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Study (NHANES) between 1999-2018, and almost 4,500 Chinese adults from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Study (CLHLS) between 2006-2018.
Participants completed dietary questionnaires or 24-hour dietary recall interviews at the beginning of the study. Researchers then assigned scores based on two diet indexes:
- A healthful plant-based diet index (emphasizing vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, tea, and coffee)
- An unhealthful plant-based diet index (including refined grains, potatoes, sugar-sweetened beverages, and animal-based foods)
Significant Impact on Mortality Risk
Overall, closer adherence to a healthful plant-based diet was associated with a 17% to 24% lower risk of death from any cause, cardiovascular disease or cancer, while closer adherence to an unhealthful plant-based diet brought a 28% to 36% increased risk of death from any cause, cardiovascular disease or cancer.
For the analysis, researchers adjusted for confounding factors such as demographics, dietary and lifestyle factors. Results were consistent across subgroups by age, race, sex, smoking, alcohol intake, body mass index, and physical activity. They were also consistent in people with different types of cardiometabolic disorders and in people from the U.K., U.S., and Chinese cohorts when these groups were analyzed separately, even though the U.K. and U.S. groups were significantly younger, with an average age of 57 years and 59 years, respectively, compared with the Chinese group, which had an average age of 84 years.
In a separate study that only used NHANES data and did not focus on people with cardiometabolic disorders, the same research group found that greater adherence to a healthy beverage pattern was associated with a lower risk of premature death. They defined a healthy beverage pattern as one high in tea, coffee, and low-fat milk and low in alcohol, whole-fat milk, fruit juice,e and sugar-sweetened and artificially sweetened beverages.
“These findings may help individuals with cardiometabolic disorders make healthier lifestyle choices,” Chen said. “It is important to identify and develop cost-effective strategies to promote health among individuals with cardiometabolic disorders.”
For both studies, the researchers said that dietary data were self-reported by study participants at baseline and not assessed again, so the studies were not able to reflect any dietary changes participants may have made. They added that some potentially confounding factors were difficult to eliminate and suggested that additional prospective studies in diverse global populations would help to strengthen the evidence and confirm the importance of healthy food and beverage consumption patterns in broader populations.
Meeting: American College of Cardiology’s Annual Scientific Session
Chen will present the studies, “Associations Between Plant-Based Diets and Total Mortality Among Participants with Cardiometabolic Disorders” and “Associations of a Healthy Beverage Score with All-Cause and Cause-Specific Mortality among U.S. Adults: A Nationwide Cohort Study,” on Saturday, March 29, 2025, at 3:30 p.m. CT / 20:30 UTC in South Hall.
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8 Comments
Just another ignorant and incompetent study that fails to factor-in nearly subclinical non-IgE-mediated food (minimally) allergy reactions (e.g., Dr. Arthur F. Coca, by 1935), toxic food additives and excessive medical errors foisted on mostly unsuspecting populations by greedy major pseudo-food companies through their bought and paid for pawns and puppets in high places. Furthermore, they probably lack in some micronutrients, potentially very serious problems, long-term, just like soy, TBHQ and added MSG, minimally, already are.
Nothing will stop those people who want to eat meat from eating it, even when you tell them they will die sooner than they need to and be in worse health, I think it’s more of a psychological block they are scared to change to a plant based diet, meanwhile those of us who understand how our body works will carry on eating a plant based diet and just outlive the hell out of them.
😂 but there’s simply no credible evidence to support what you’re saying
I pity the fools who believe this crap.
And my adopted daughter, who I love sooooooo much, is one of them.
Shes only 21 and suffers from all the issues doctors just cant seem to put their finger on.
She has had fainting spells, erratic heart palpitations, joint pain, shortness of breath, and some things she wont even share with me.
Shes worn heart monitors, had MRI’s, CT scans, and more.
They never can diagnose whats wrong with her.
She wears knee braces all the time because of weak knees.
And since shes been 14 she has been exclusively “vegan” that only eats fake meat, fake cheese, fake EVERYTHING.
Sure she will eat a salad occasionally but she says they get boring so she buys all the fake vegan crap.
Sure does seem to be an extreme correlation with her lifestyle choice and having so many issues at such a young age.
Issues doctors claim to not even be able to diagnose.
Tennisguy, she may also have medically undiagnosed chronic very, very mild allergy reactions to common vegan products; corn, wheat, soy, yeast, etc. I try to provide some “experience-based” information on the “About” page of my ad free video channel: https://odysee.com/@charlesgshaver:d?view=about Good luck.
All the meat I’ve ever consumed has been plant-based; Cow, chicken, pig, deer….
They are really trying hard aren’t they? No thanks. I’ll keep eating my burgers and steaks. I only feel great when I eat meat. The key is to diminish or eliminate carbs.