Greater adherence to the Mediterranean diet and regular physical activity are associated with a significant reduction in the initiation of psychotropic drug treatments in older people at high risk of chronic diseases. This is the conclusion of a study published in the scientific journal Age and Ageing, with the participation of Dr. Antoni Riera-Mestre, head of the Internal Medicine Service at Bellvitge Hospital, principal investigator of the research group on Systemic, Vascular and Aging Diseases at IDIBELL, and co-principal investigator of the CIBEROBN group, together with Dr. Xavier Pintó. also from the same service.
The analysis, based on data from nearly 7,000 PREDIMED study participants, has followed people aged 55 to 80 with cardiovascular risk for more than four years. The results show that each additional point of adherence to the Mediterranean diet is associated with a 23 to 28% reduction in the risk of initiating antidepressant consumption. Similar decreases are also seen in the case of anxiolytics, antipsychotics, and anticonvulsants.
In terms of physical activity, increases equivalent to 20 minutes a day of moderate exercise (such as brisk walking or attending a dance class) are associated with a 15 to 20% reduction in the risk of starting antidepressants or anti-anxiety medications.
The results are especially significant when both factors are combined: people with high adherence to the Mediterranean diet (≥10 points) and a high level of physical activity (≥150 minutes per week) were up to 59% less likely to start treatment with antidepressants, 46% less in the case of anxiolytics, and significant reductions in the use of antipsychotics and anticonvulsants.
“Although this is an observational study and does not allow a direct causal relationship to be established, the data reinforce the preventive value of a healthy lifestyle also in the field of mental health,” says Dr. Antoni Riera-Mestre. These findings are especially relevant in a context of population ageing and increased use of psychotropic drugs in older ages, where adverse effects may be more significant,” he adds.
The study opens the door to future clinical trials to test whether interventions based on Mediterranean diet and physical exercise can be effective in preventing disorders such as depression, anxiety, psychosis, or epilepsy in older people.
The Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL) is a research centre created in 2004 specialising in cancer, neuroscience, translational medicine and regenerative medicine. It has a team of more than 1,500 professionals who, from the 73 research groups, generate more than 1,400 scientific articles per year. IDIBELL is owned by the Bellvitge University Hospital and the Viladecans Hospital of the Catalan Institute of Health, the Catalan Institute of Oncology, the University of Barcelona and the City Council of L’Hospitalet de Llobregat.
IDIBELL is a member of the Campus of International Excellence of the University of Barcelona HUBc and is part of the CERCA institution of the Generalitat de Catalunya. In 2009 it became one of the first five Spanish research centres accredited as a health research institute by the Carlos III Health Institute. In addition, it is part of the “HR Excellence in Research” program of the European Union and is a member of EATRIS and REGIC. Since 2018, IDIBELL has been an Accredited Centre of the AECC Scientific Foundation (FCAECC).