Scientific Study

BACKGROUND: There is increasing evidence that there are protective health effects from diets which are high in fruits; vegetables; legumes; and whole grains; and which include fish; nuts; and low-fat dairy products. We sought to investigate the association of Mediterranean diet on clinical status of 150 elderly men and women. METHODS: During 2004 - 2005; we studied 53 men and 97 women; aged 65 to 100 years; from various areas of Cyprus. A diet score that assesses the inherent characteristics of the Mediterranean diet was developed for each individual (range 0-55). Adoption of the Mediterranean diet was evaluated against the presence of cardiovascular risk factors like hypertension; diabetes; hypercholesterolemia and obesity. RESULTS: 26% of men and 18% of women had diabetes; 60% of men and 58% of women had hypertension; 60% of men and 68% of women had hypercholesterolemia; and 34% of men and 52% of women were obese. More than 90% of the participants reported consistency in their dietary habits for at least the past 3-4 decades. A significant inverse correlation was observed between diet score and the number of the investigated risk factors (rho= -0.26; p< 0.001). When we took into account age; sex; smoking habits; and physical activity status; we observed that a 10-unit increase in the diet score was associated with 21% lower odds of having one additional risk factor in women (p< 0.001) and with 14% lower odds in men (p = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with reduced odds of having hypercholesterolemia; hypertension; diabetes and obesity among elderly people.