Activity and diet quality together linked to lower death risk
High activity plus high diet quality was linked to a death hazard ratio—a measure comparing rates over time—of 0.64 versus the reference group.
An observational study analysed 339,074 UK Biobank participants with cardiovascular-kidney-metabolic syndrome stages 0 to 4. This framework groups linked risks involving the heart, kidneys and how the body uses energy. Participants had a mean age of 56.4 years, and 51.3% were women.
The researchers assessed activity using self-reports and wearable movement sensors. They defined high activity as at least 150 minutes a week of walking or moderate-to-vigorous activity and classified diet quality into three levels. High activity and high diet quality were each associated with lower risks of death from any cause, death from heart and blood-vessel disease, and newly developing heart and blood-vessel disease. Combining high activity with high diet quality showed stronger associations with these outcomes.
Why it matters
Heart and blood-vessel disease is a concern as people age. The findings support considering activity and diet together when assessing behavioural prevention strategies.
Caveats
This observational study cannot show that changing activity or diet caused lower risks. The abstract does not identify the reference groups or provide absolute event rates or follow-up duration.
The paper
Shanghai Stomatological Hospital & School of Stomatology
JACC Advances, 13 Oct 2026
