Plant-based dietary patterns and age-specific risk of multimorbidity of cancer and cardiometabolic diseases: a prospective analysis

In a new large-scale multinational study involving more than 400 000 women and men aged 35–70 years from six European countries, researchers at the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), in collaboration with the University of Vienna (Austria) and Kyung Hee University (Republic of Korea), investigated dietary habits and disease trajectories. The comprehensive data analysis shows that a plant-based diet is associated with reduced risk of multimorbidity of cancer and cardiometabolic diseases. Multimorbidity describes the occurrence of two or more chronic diseases in one person and is a growing health problem worldwide, particularly among adults 60 years and older. The study was published in the journal The Lancet Healthy Longevity.

The study used data from two large European cohort studies, the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) and UK Biobank. Based on data from six European countries (Denmark, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United Kingdom), the researchers provide evidence that plant-based dietary habits can influence the development of multimorbidity. For example, results from UK Biobank show that adults with a higher adherence to a plant-based diet had a 32% lower risk of multimorbidity compared with those with a lower adherence. The study also examined differences in the risk of multimorbidity between middle-aged and older adults. Higher adherence to a plant-based diet was associated with a lower risk of cancer and cardiometabolic multimorbidity both in adults younger than 60 years and in those 60 years and older.

A healthy plant-based dietary pattern included, for example, a higher intake of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and vegan sausages or burgers and a lower intake of meat and meat products. The findings suggest that a diet consisting mainly of healthy plant-based foods and small amounts of animal-based foods can contribute to maintaining health into older age.

Dietary guidelines, public health measures, and interventions should consider that a diet composed primarily of healthy plant-based foods with small amounts of animal-based foods may help prevent multimorbidity related to cancer and cardiometabolic diseases.

Córdova R, Kim J, Thompson AS, Noh H, Shah S, Dahm CC, et al.
Plant-based dietary patterns and age-specific risk of multimorbidity of cancer and cardiometabolic diseases: a prospective analysis
Lancet Healthy Longev. Published online 19 August 2025;
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lanhl.2025.100742

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