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The relation of dietary patterns to future survival, health, and cardiovascular events in older adults.

TitleThe relation of dietary patterns to future survival, health, and cardiovascular events in older adults.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2003
AuthorsDiehr, P, Beresford, SAA
JournalJ Clin Epidemiol
Volume56
Issue12
Pagination1224-35
Date Published2003 Dec
ISSN0895-4356
KeywordsAged, Cardiovascular Diseases, Cluster Analysis, Diet, Energy Intake, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Health Status, Humans, Incidence, Linear Models, Male, Nutritional Physiological Phenomena, Survival Rate
Abstract<p><b>BACKGROUND: </b>There have been few long-term follow-up studies of older adults who follow different dietary patterns.</p><p><b>METHODS: </b>We cluster-analyzed data on dietary fat, fiber, protein, carbohydrate, and calorie consumption from the U.S. Cardiovascular Health Study (mean age=73), and examined the relationship of the dietary clusters to outcomes 10 years later.</p><p><b>RESULTS: </b>The five clusters were named "Healthy diet" (relatively high in fiber and carbohydrate and low in fat), "Unhealthy diet" (relatively high in protein and fat, relatively low in carbohydrates and fiber); "High Calorie," "Low Calorie," and "Low 4," which was distinguished by higher alcohol consumption. The clusters were strongly associated with demographic factors, health behaviors, and baseline health status. The Healthy diet cluster had the most years of life and years of healthy life, and the Unhealthy diet cluster had the fewest. The Low 4 cluster had the best cardiovascular outcomes. Differences were not usually large.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS: </b>Older adults who followed the healthy eating pattern had somewhat longer and healthier lives, and the cluster with more alcohol consumption was associated with fewer cardiovascular events. The unhealthy eating pattern had the worst outcomes.</p>
DOI10.1016/s0895-4356(03)00202-6
Alternate JournalJ Clin Epidemiol
PubMed ID14680674
Grant ListN01-HC-85079 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
N01-HC-85086 / HC / NHLBI NIH HHS / United States
RC-HL 15103 / RC / CCR NIH HHS / United States
RC-HL 35129 / RC / CCR NIH HHS / United States