title: Health status, blood and anthropometrical indices from Greek old and nonagenarian subjects.
abstract: As the elderly population is increasing rapidly, there is a lot of scientific interest in clarifying the differential life-style, genetic, biochemical and molecular factors contributing to mortality or exceptional longevity. Within the framework of the ZINCAGE project, 249 old (60-85 years) and nonagenarian Greek subjects (>/=85 years old) were recruited and anthropometrical, blood and biochemical indices as well as blood pressure measurements were obtained. Based upon the inclusion criteria, 214 of them were characterized as healthy (136 female, 78 male), while those characterized as non-healthy were excluded from the statistical analysis. The findings indicated an 88.4% prevalence of overweight and obesity in elderly (91.2% in women, 83.3% in men), while a significant decrease in body mass index with age was recorded. Hypercholesterolemia was observed in 75.3% of elderly women and in 69.2% of men. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate value was increased in 27.6% of all healthy elderly, while zinc deficiency was observed in 18.7% of elderly. Over 85.0% of all healthy elderly were within normal range for all other hematological analysis. Blood analysis confirmed the good health status of the elderly recruited as healthy, except for the high prevalence of obesity and hypercholesterolemia.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Genetics, Department of Nutrition and Dietetics, Harokopio University of Athens, 70 El. Venizelou str, 17671 , Kallithea-Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: Stavroula
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kanoni
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dedoussis
authors.forename: Yannis
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Manios
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Malavolta
authors.forename: Eugenio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mocchegiani
mesh_terms: D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D001799:Blood Sedimentation; D015992:Body Mass Index; D001835:Body Weight; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood*; D008136:Longevity; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000503:physiopathology; D015995:Prevalence; D015032:Zinc / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D008055:Lipids; D015032:Zinc