Abstract 3653: The moderating role of dietary patterns on physical health and risk of cancer mortality in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort

Diet and physical activity share an association with cancer mortality. We investigated whether empirically-defined dietary patterns modified the association between a composite of physical health and cancer mortality.

METHODS: We performed analysis among participants from the Reasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort. Physical health (PH) composite was assessed by the product of baseline heart rate and systolic blood pressure, a reliable measurement of myocardial oxygen demand, and self-reported physical activity. Participant adherence was assessed with empirically-defined dietary patterns including: Convenience (including Chinese and Mexican foods, pasta, pizza), Plant-based (including fruits, vegetables), Southern (including added fats, fried foods, sugar-sweetened beverages), Sweets/Fats (including sugary foods) and Alcohol/Salads (including alcohol, green-leafy vegetables, salad dressing) was examined as an effect modifier. We performed comparisons across PH composite risk groups (i.e., severe, high, moderate, and low risk). We estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and associated 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by PH composite groups, stratified by dietary patterns.

RESULTS: Among 20,857 participants, 18% were defined as severe-risk PH, 30% were high-risk, 15% were moderate-risk PH, and 38% were low-risk PH. The most common dietary pattern adhered to by severe-risk PH participants was the southern based diet (30% adhering, p value <0.01). Severe-risk PH participants generally had higher risks for cancer mortality, corresponding to a 2.4-fold increased risk of cancer mortality (adjusted HR: 2.42; 95% CI: 1.52 - 3.85) even with limited southern diet consumption (1^st quartile).

CONCLUSIONS: Dietary patterns influence cancer mortality risk; however cardiovascular health is independently associated with greater long-term risk of cancer death.

Citation Format: Akwasi O. Aduboffour, Stephen J. Carter, George Howard, Saira Khan, Marquita Lewis-Thames, Justin Xavier Moore, PhD, MPH X. Moore. The moderating role of dietary patterns on physical health and risk of cancer mortality in the REasons for Geographic and Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) cohort [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 3653.