Abstract MP16: Adherence to Healthy Lifestyle Factors is Associated With a Lower Risk of Death Among US Male Physicians With Type 2 Diabetes

Abstract

Background: Previous studies have suggested that adherence to a healthy lifestyle is associated with reduced risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mortality. However, it is unknown whether a combination of healthy lifestyle after the diagnosis of diabetes is associated with reduced risk of all-cause mortality. Objective: To test the hypothesis that healthy modifiable lifestyle factors are associated with a lower risk of all-cause mortality in people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Methods: A prospective cohort study of 1,160 male physicians from the Physicians’ Health Study with prevalent type 2 diabetes. Smoking habits, body mass index, exercise frequency, and alcohol consumption were assessed via questionnaire, and diet was assessed via a food frequency questionnaire between 1999 and 2002. Death was ascertained by an endpoint committee. Healthy lifestyle factors were defined as: 1) never or past smoking, 2) body mass index <25 kg/m 2 , 3) vigorous physical activity 1+ days/week, alcohol consumption of 1-2 drinks/day, and 5) being in the top two quintiles of the Alternative Healthy Eating Index score. We used Cox regression to estimate multivariable adjusted hazard ratios of death according to each lifestyle factor, and total number of healthy lifestyle factors met. Results: During a median follow-up of 9.2 years, there were 248 deaths. The mean age at baseline was 68.9 ± 8.2 years. Healthy diet score was associated with a 40% (95% CI: 20-55%) lower risk of mortality. Multivariable adjusted hazard ratios (95% CI) for mortality were: 1.0 (ref), 0.58 (0.42-0.80), 0.58 (0.41-0.81), and 0.55 (0.35-0.87) for meeting 0 or 1, 2, 3, and 4+ healthy lifestyle factors, respectively. Conclusions: Our data are consistent with an inverse association between the number of healthy lifestyle factors and risk of mortality in US male physicians with type 2 diabetes.