Planetary Health Diet linked to lower cardiovascular disease risk in postmenopausal women, 20-year study finds

A 20-year observational study of 66,892 postmenopausal women from the Women's Health Initiative reveals that adhering to the plant-forward Planetary Health Diet is associated with up to a 28% lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Led by researcher Donya Shahamati, the study shows that even moderate dietary alignment reduces risks for coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure, highlighting the value of small, realistic dietary changes for aging women.

Planetary Health Diet benefits

• ▪The Planetary Health Diet emphasizes foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and unsaturated fats while limiting red and processed meats, added sugars, refined grains, and saturated fats.
• ▪A 20-year study of 66,892 postmenopausal women found that higher adherence to the Planetary Health Diet is associated with a lower risk of overall cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, stroke, and heart failure.

Cardiovascular disease risk reduction

• ▪Each 10-point increase in the Planetary Health Diet Index score was linked to a further reduction in cardiovascular disease risk, showing that even moderate adherence is beneficial.
• ▪Women whose diets most closely followed the Planetary Health Diet had approximately a 28% lower risk of cardiovascular disease compared to women in the lowest adherence group.

Women's Health Initiative methodology

• ▪The study participants, who were around 63 years old at the start, were followed for approximately 20 years, with researchers adjusting for factors such as age, race, smoking, and physical activity.
• ▪The study analyzed 66,892 participants from the Women's Health Initiative who were free of cardiovascular disease at the start of the study between 1994 and 1998.

Diet adherence scoring system

• ▪Researchers calculated a Planetary Health Diet Index score for each participant using a food frequency questionnaire administered at the beginning of the study.
• ▪Study participants were divided into five distinct groups based on how closely their baseline diets aligned with the Planetary Health Diet guidelines.

Practical dietary recommendations

• ▪Adopting a meatless meal once per week is recommended as a realistic, non-restrictive change to achieve potential heart-health benefits.
• ▪Small dietary changes, such as filling half the plate with vegetables, using avocado or olive oil instead of butter, and choosing oatmeal, can help transition to a plant-forward diet.

Postmenopausal women cardiovascular health

• ▪Because the research was an observational study, the investigators caution that it cannot definitively prove that the Planetary Health Diet directly caused the lower cardiovascular risk.
• ▪Cardiovascular risk increases with age and tends to rise specifically after menopause, making dietary interventions particularly important for postmenopausal women.

1 source