Liu YH, et al. - Whether a link exists between better diet quality, evaluated by a validated dietary screening tool (DST), and lower mortality in those aged 80 years and older, was determined in this prospective analysis. Researchers used the Geisinger Rural Aging Study longitudinal cohort in Pennsylvania, to select 1,990 participants including 812 men and 1,178 women, with a mean age of 84.1 years at baseline. These people were analyzed in this study. Participants were observed for 8 years. They found a lower mortality risk in relation to higher diet quality. After adjusting for potential risk factors, a significantly lower risk of mortality was observed in those with high diet quality (defined as DST scores > 75) vs those with low diet quality (defined as DST scores < 60). In this study, a significant link of diet quality, evaluated by DST, with mortality risk was shown in older adults. A possible crucial role of nutrition in healthy aging was suggested.