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Background The role of diet quality in the accumulation of multiple chronic conditions is mostly unknown. This study examined diet quality in association with the number of chronic conditions and the rate of multimorbidity development among community-dwelling older adults. Methods We used data from 2 784 adults aged ≥65 years from the Seniors-ENRICA 2 cohort. Diet quality was assessed at baseline (2015–17) with the Alternate Healthy Eating Index-2010 (AHEI-2010) and the Mediterranean Diet Adherence Screener (MEDAS). Information on medical diagnoses was obtained from electronic clinical records up to 2021. Results Higher adherence to the AHEI-2010 was associated with a lower number of total chronic conditions (β [95% CI] quartile 4 vs 1: −0.57 [−0.86 to 0.27], p trend < .001] and cardiometabolic conditions (−0.30 [−0.44 to −0.17], p trend < .001) at baseline, while higher adherence to the MEDAS was associated with a lower number of total chronic conditions (−0.30 [−0.58 to −0.02], p trend = .01) and neuropsychiatric and neurodegenerative conditions (−0.09 [−0.17 to −0.01], p trend = .01). After a median follow-up of 5.2 years (range: 0.1–6.1 years) higher adherence to the AHEI-2010 was associated with a lower increase in chronic conditions (β [95% confidence interval] quartile 4 vs 1: −0.16 [−0.30 to −0.01], p trend = .04) and with lower rate of chronic disease accumulation. Conclusions Higher diet quality, as measured by the AHEI-2010, was associated with a lower number of chronic health conditions and a lower rate of multimorbidity development over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Leucine is suggested to play a central role in age-related physical decline, but the effect of dietary leucine intake on physical functioning is uncertain. We examined the prospective association between dietary leucine intake and impaired lower-extremity function (ILEF) and frailty in older adults. Methods We used data from 2 956 adults aged ≥60 and older from the Seniors-ENRICA cohort. At baseline (2008–2010) and in 2012, dietary information was obtained with a validated computerized face-to-face diet history, from which energy-adjusted cumulative leucine intake per body weight was calculated. Participants were followed up through 2017 to assess incident ILEF, ascertained with the Short Physical Performance Battery, and incident frailty, according to the Fried phenotype criteria. Statistical analysis was performed with Cox models adjusted for the main potential confounders. Results During follow-up, we identified 515 incident cases of ILEF and 241 of frailty. Compared with participants in the lowest tertile of leucine intake (35.5–89.0 mg/kg/d), those in the highest tertile (107.4–372.5 mg/kg/d) had a lower risk of ILEF (fully adjusted hazard ratio [95% confidence interval]: 0.70 [0.53–0.93], p trend:.01) and of frailty (0.63 [0.41–0.96], p trend:.03]. A higher consumption of important sources of leucine in this population, including unprocessed beef, oily and white fish, and bread, were also associated with a lower risk of incident ILEF and frailty. Conclusions Higher leucine intake was associated with reduced risk of ILEF and frailty. Dietary leucine, obtained from foods rich in high-quality protein, could be a key nutrient to prevent age-related physical function decline in older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]