Higher calorie intake with adequate exercise is associated with reduced mortality compared with low-calorie diet with equivalent exercise: An observational study from NHANES based on the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans

Object: To explore the effects of different combinations of calorie intake and exercise on all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality. Methods: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed. Weighted multivariate cox regression analyses were performed to a...

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Main Authors: Hanghang Gan, Yu Yan, Shanshan Jia, Yingqiang Guo, Gonggong Lu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-09-01
Series:Experimental Gerontology
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0531556525001342
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author Hanghang Gan
Yu Yan
Shanshan Jia
Yingqiang Guo
Gonggong Lu
author_facet Hanghang Gan
Yu Yan
Shanshan Jia
Yingqiang Guo
Gonggong Lu
author_sort Hanghang Gan
collection DOAJ
description Object: To explore the effects of different combinations of calorie intake and exercise on all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality. Methods: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed. Weighted multivariate cox regression analyses were performed to assess the association between different combinations of calorie intake and exercise and mortality. Interaction effects were evaluated using the relative excess risk of interaction (RERI), attributable proportion of interaction (API), and synergy index (SI). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were also conducted. Results: A total of 21,618 participants (51 % female) were included, with 1957 all-cause deaths, 568 cardiovascular deaths, and 508 cancer deaths over a median follow-up of 6.75 years. Both higher- and low-calorie diet were associated with reduced all-cause mortality as long as the participants engaged in adequate exercise, with greater benefits in the former group (Higher-calorie diet: Hazard ratio (HR) [95%CI] 0.59 [0.48, 0.71]; low-calorie diet: 0.69 [0.56, 0.84]; both P < 0.001). Only higher-calorie diet with adequate exercise was associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.64 [0.43, 0.94], P = 0.022, P for trend = 0.085). No significant association about cancer mortality was observed (P > 0.05). There was no additive interaction between low-calorie diet and adequate exercise in reducing mortality (all P > 0.05). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses remained stable. Conclusion: Adequate exercise with either higher- or low-calorie diet was associated with reduced all-cause mortality, with greater benefits in the former group. Moreover, only the former was associated with a reduction in cardiovascular mortality.
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spelling doaj-art-01805c4feb2945d99c5c38179131c8ea2025-08-20T02:39:28ZengElsevierExperimental Gerontology1873-68152025-09-0120811280510.1016/j.exger.2025.112805Higher calorie intake with adequate exercise is associated with reduced mortality compared with low-calorie diet with equivalent exercise: An observational study from NHANES based on the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for AmericansHanghang Gan0Yu Yan1Shanshan Jia2Yingqiang Guo3Gonggong Lu4Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, West China School of Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Cardiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Cardiology, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, ChinaDepartment of Cardiovascular Surgery, West China School of Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China; Corresponding authors at: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, West China School of Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No.37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, West China School of Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China; Corresponding authors at: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, West China School of Medicine, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, No.37 Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.Object: To explore the effects of different combinations of calorie intake and exercise on all-cause, cardiovascular and cancer mortality. Methods: Data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) were analyzed. Weighted multivariate cox regression analyses were performed to assess the association between different combinations of calorie intake and exercise and mortality. Interaction effects were evaluated using the relative excess risk of interaction (RERI), attributable proportion of interaction (API), and synergy index (SI). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses were also conducted. Results: A total of 21,618 participants (51 % female) were included, with 1957 all-cause deaths, 568 cardiovascular deaths, and 508 cancer deaths over a median follow-up of 6.75 years. Both higher- and low-calorie diet were associated with reduced all-cause mortality as long as the participants engaged in adequate exercise, with greater benefits in the former group (Higher-calorie diet: Hazard ratio (HR) [95%CI] 0.59 [0.48, 0.71]; low-calorie diet: 0.69 [0.56, 0.84]; both P < 0.001). Only higher-calorie diet with adequate exercise was associated with reduced cardiovascular mortality (HR 0.64 [0.43, 0.94], P = 0.022, P for trend = 0.085). No significant association about cancer mortality was observed (P > 0.05). There was no additive interaction between low-calorie diet and adequate exercise in reducing mortality (all P > 0.05). Subgroup and sensitivity analyses remained stable. Conclusion: Adequate exercise with either higher- or low-calorie diet was associated with reduced all-cause mortality, with greater benefits in the former group. Moreover, only the former was associated with a reduction in cardiovascular mortality.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0531556525001342Calorie intakeDietExerciseAll-cause mortalityAmericansNHANES
spellingShingle Hanghang Gan
Yu Yan
Shanshan Jia
Yingqiang Guo
Gonggong Lu
Higher calorie intake with adequate exercise is associated with reduced mortality compared with low-calorie diet with equivalent exercise: An observational study from NHANES based on the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
Experimental Gerontology
Calorie intake
Diet
Exercise
All-cause mortality
Americans
NHANES
title Higher calorie intake with adequate exercise is associated with reduced mortality compared with low-calorie diet with equivalent exercise: An observational study from NHANES based on the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
title_full Higher calorie intake with adequate exercise is associated with reduced mortality compared with low-calorie diet with equivalent exercise: An observational study from NHANES based on the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
title_fullStr Higher calorie intake with adequate exercise is associated with reduced mortality compared with low-calorie diet with equivalent exercise: An observational study from NHANES based on the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
title_full_unstemmed Higher calorie intake with adequate exercise is associated with reduced mortality compared with low-calorie diet with equivalent exercise: An observational study from NHANES based on the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
title_short Higher calorie intake with adequate exercise is associated with reduced mortality compared with low-calorie diet with equivalent exercise: An observational study from NHANES based on the 2020–2025 Dietary Guidelines for Americans
title_sort higher calorie intake with adequate exercise is associated with reduced mortality compared with low calorie diet with equivalent exercise an observational study from nhanes based on the 2020 2025 dietary guidelines for americans
topic Calorie intake
Diet
Exercise
All-cause mortality
Americans
NHANES
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0531556525001342
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