title: Long-term adoption of a Mediterranean diet is associated with a better health status in elderly people; a cross-sectional survey in Cyprus.
abstract: 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).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adherence to a Mediterranean diet is associated with reduced odds of having hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes and obesity among elderly people.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition Science-Dietetics, Harokopio University, Athens, Greece. d.b.Panagiotakos@usa.net
authors.forename: Demosthenes B
authors.initials: DB
authors.lastname: Panagiotakos
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polystipioti
authors.forename: Natassa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Papairakleous
authors.forename: Evangelos
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Polychronopoulos
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000453:epidemiology; D038441:Diet, Mediterranean; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006304:Health Status; D006801:Humans; D006937:Hypercholesterolemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D006973:Hypertension / Q000453:epidemiology; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D009751:Nutritional Requirements; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000453:epidemiology; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors; D012737:Sex Factors