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D Kromhout

Publications and source records attributed to D Kromhout.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Epidemiology of cardiovascular diseases in Europe.

Within Europe large differences exist in mortality from coronary heart disease and stroke. These diseases show a clear West-East gradient with high rates in Eastern Europe. In spite the decreasing trend in age-adjusted cardiovascular disease mortality in Western European countries an increase in the number of cardiovascular patients is expected because of the ageing of the population. Consequently the health care cost for these diseases will increase. Total and HDL cholesterol are major determinants of coronary heart disease. Saturated and trans fatty acids have a total and LDL cholesterol elevating effect and unsaturated fatty acids a lowering effect. N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids seem to have a protective effect on coronary heart disease occurrence independent of their effect on cholesterol. Dietary antioxidants could be of importance because they may prevent oxidation of the atherogenic cholesterol rich LDL lipoproteins. There is however no convincing evidence that either vitamin E, carotenoids or vitamin C protect against coronary heart disease. Observational research has shown that flavonols, polyphenols with strong antioxidant properties present in plant foods, may protect against coronary heart disease. Blood pressure is a major determinant of coronary heart disease and stroke. Historically salt is viewed as the most important dietary determinant of blood pressure. Recent research shows that also a low-fat diet rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium lowers blood pressure substantially. This suggests a multifactorial influence of different nutrients on blood pressure. It can be concluded that a diet low in saturated and trans fatty acids and rich in plant foods in combination with regular fish consumption is associated with a low risk of cardiovascular mortality.

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Association between B vitamin intake and plasma homocysteine concentration in the general Dutch population aged 20-65 y.

BACKGROUND: An elevated plasma total homocysteine (tHcy) concentration is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases. Folate, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12 are essential in homocysteine metabolism. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to describe the association between dietary intakes of folate, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, and vitamin B-12 and the nonfasting plasma tHcy concentration. DESIGN: A random sample of 2435 men and women aged 20-65 y from a population-based Dutch cohort examined in 1993-1996 was analyzed cross-sectionally. RESULTS: Univariately, intakes of all B vitamins were inversely related to the plasma tHcy concentration. In multivariate models, only folate intake remained inversely associated with the plasma tHcy concentration. Mean plasma tHcy concentrations (adjusted for intakes of riboflavin, vitamin B-6, vitamin B-12, and methionine and for age, smoking, and alcohol consumption) in men with low (first quintile: 161 microg/d) and high (fifth quintile: 254 microg/d) folate intakes were 15.4 and 13.2 micromol/L, respectively; in women, plasma tHcy concentrations were 13.7 and 12.4 micromol/L at folate intakes of 160 and 262 microg/d, respectively. In men, the difference in the mean plasma tHcy concentration between men with low and high folate intakes was greater in smokers than in nonsmokers (2.8 compared with 1.6 micromol/L) and greater in nondrinkers than in drinkers of >2 alcoholic drinks/d (3.5 compared with 1.4 micromol/L). In women, the association between folate intake and plasma tHcy was not modified by smoking or alcohol consumption. CONCLUSIONS: In this Dutch population, folate was the only B vitamin independently inversely associated with the plasma tHcy concentration. Changing dietary habits may substantially influence the plasma tHcy concentration in the general population.

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Catechin intake might explain the inverse relation between tea consumption and ischemic heart disease: the Zutphen Elderly Study.

BACKGROUND: Epidemiologic studies suggest that tea consumption may reduce the risk of cardiovascular diseases, but results are inconsistent. Catechins, which belong to the flavonoid family, are the main components of tea and may be responsible for the alleged protective effect. Taking catechin sources other than tea into account might clarify the reported associations. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to evaluate the association between catechin intake and the incidence of and mortality from ischemic heart disease and stroke. DESIGN: We evaluated the effect of a high catechin intake by using data from the Zutphen Elderly Study, a prospective cohort study of 806 men aged 65-84 y at baseline in 1985. RESULTS: The mean (+/-SD) catechin intake at baseline was 72 +/- 47.8 mg, mainly from black tea, apples, and chocolate. A total of 90 deaths from ischemic heart disease were documented. Catechin intake was inversely associated with ischemic heart disease mortality; the multivariate-adjusted risk ratio in the highest tertile of intake was 0.49 (95% CI: 0.27, 0.88; P for trend: 0.017). After multivariate adjustment, catechin intake was not associated with the incidence of myocardial infarction (risk ratio in the highest tertile of intake: 0.70; 95% CI: 0.39, 1.26; P for trend: 0.232). After adjustment for tea consumption and flavonol intake, a 7.5-mg increase in catechin intake from sources other than tea was associated with a tendency for a 20% reduction in ischemic heart disease mortality risk (P = 0.114). There was no association between catechin intake and stroke incidence or mortality. CONCLUSION: Catechins, whether from tea or other sources, may reduce the risk of ischemic heart disease mortality but not of stroke.

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alpha-Linolenic acid intake is not beneficially associated with 10-y risk of coronary artery disease incidence: the Zutphen Elderly Study.

BACKGROUND: Data on the relation between alpha-linolenic acid intake and coronary artery disease (CAD) are limited. Other dietary components appear to modify the reported relation between alpha-linolenic acid intake and CAD. OBJECTIVE: We examined whether dietary alpha-linolenic acid intake was inversely associated with risk of CAD. DESIGN: We prospectively studied 667 men aged 64-84 y from the Zutphen Elderly Study who were free of CAD at baseline. Dietary intake was assessed by using a cross-check dietary history method. RESULTS: During the 10-y follow-up, we documented 98 cases of CAD. After adjustment for age, standard coronary risk factors, and intake of trans fatty acids and other nutrients, alpha-linolenic acid intake was not significantly associated with CAD risk. The relative risk of CAD for the highest compared with the lowest tertile of alpha-linolenic acid intake was 1.68 (95% CI: 0.86, 3.29). alpha-Linolenic acid intake from sources containing trans fatty acids was also nonsignificantly, yet positively, associated with CAD risk. alpha-Linolenic acid intake from foods that did not contain trans fatty acids was not associated with CAD risk, the relative risk of CAD for the highest compared with the lowest tertile was 1.15 (95% CI: 0.63, 2.11). CONCLUSION: We did not observe a beneficial effect of dietary alpha-linolenic acid intake on the risk of 10-y CAD incidence. Investigating this hypothesis was complicated by the association between intakes of alpha-linolenic acid and trans fatty acids. Given the results of current prospective studies, a protective cardiac effect of alpha-linolenic acid is questionable.

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Trends in total and high density lipoprotein cholesterol and their determinants in The Netherlands between 1993 and 1997.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study is to describe trends in plasma total and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol in The Netherlands between 1993 and 1997 and to examine whether these trends in cholesterol could be explained by changes in body mass index, smoking, alcohol intake, use of cholesterol lowering medication, intake of saturated fat, trans fatty acids and dietary cholesterol. METHODS: Each year a random sample of men and women aged 20-59 years living in three towns in The Netherlands was invited to participate in the study. In total more than 21 000 people were examined. RESULTS: Between 1993 and 1997 plasma total cholesterol decreased significantly by 0.19 mmol/l in men and by 0.27 mmol/l in women. During this period HDL cholesterol remained stable in both men and women. Small decreases were observed in the intake of saturated fat, trans fatty acids and dietary cholesterol in both men and women. The use of cholesterol lowering medication and for women oral contraceptives and prescribed oestrogens increased significantly. After adjustment for these determinants in multivariate analyses the trend in total cholesterol remained highly significant. CONCLUSIONS: Between 1993 and 1997 the mean total cholesterol level decreased significantly while the mean HDL cholesterol remained stable in both men and women in The Netherlands. The observed trend in total cholesterol could only for a small part be explained by changes in the determinants studied.

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Alcohol consumption in relation to 20-year COPD mortality and pulmonary function in middle-aged men from three European countries.

Alcohol consumption shows a U-shaped relation with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality. To determine whether a similar relation exists between alcohol and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mortality, we analyzed data on alcohol consumption in 1970 and 20-year mortality from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among 2,953 middle-aged men from Finland, Italy, and the Netherlands. We also studied alcohol consumption in relation to pulmonary function (FEV1 or FEV0.75) at baseline. We used regression models adjusted for age, height (for pulmonary function only), body mass index, smoking habits, energy intake, and country. A smoothed spline-plot showed a U-shaped relation between alcohol and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mortality. Compared with non-drinkers and occasional drinkers, the relative risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mortality was 0.60 (95% CI = 0.33-1.09) in light drinkers (> 1 drink per week, < or = 3 drinks per day) and 1.25 (95% CI = 0.47-3.31) in moderate-to-heavy drinkers. Pulmonary function was lower in non-drinkers compared with occasional and light drinkers in Finland (75 ml, 95% CI = -2 to 151) and the Netherlands (93 ml, 95% CI = 0-186) and lower in very heavy (> 12 drinks per day) compared with moderate-to-heavy drinkers in Italy (99 ml, 95% CI = 9-189). In conclusion, we observed a U-shaped curve between alcohol consumption and 20-year chronic obstructive pulmonary disease mortality in middle-aged men that was supported by cross-sectional data on alcohol and pulmonary function.

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Physical activity and cognitive decline, the role of the apolipoprotein e4 allele.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between level of physical activity and risk of cognitive decline at older age and its variation across carriers and noncarriers of the apolipoprotein e4 allele. METHODS: The association was studied in a cohort of 347 elderly Dutch men. Mean age of the study subjects was 74.6 +/- 4.3 yr in 1990. Physical activity was categorized in "maximal 1 h per day" versus "more than 1 h per day." Cognitive decline was defined as a drop MMSE score > 3 points between 1990 and 1993. RESULTS: After adjusting for age, education, alcohol consumption, smoking and cognitive functioning at baseline, subjects with maximal 1 h of physical activity per day had a two-fold increased risk of cognitive decline (OR 2.0, 95% CI: 0.9-4.8) as compared with the rest. Risk of cognitive decline was particularly strong in carriers of the APOE*4 allele (adjusted OR 3.7, 95% CI: 1.1-12.6). CONCLUSION: The authors conclude that promotion of physical activity at older age may reduce the risk of cognitive decline. The existence of subgroups with a particularly high risk may have important implications for prevention strategies.

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The association of silent electrocardiographic findings with coronary deaths among elderly men in three European countries. The FINE study.

OBJECTIVES: Ten-year coronary heart disease (CHD) mortality in elderly male cohorts in three European countries was evaluated as a function of silent resting Minnesota Code electrocardiographic (ECG) findings found at baseline. METHODS AND RESULTS: Men aged 65-84 at entry were enrolled, examined and followed up for 10 years in 5 cohorts of three countries: Finland (N=716), the Netherlands (N= 887), and Italy (N = 682). Men with symptomatic angina pectoris, a documented history of myocardial infarction or heart failure were excluded from analysis, leaving 505 men in Finland, 713 in the Netherlands and 567 in Italy. ECG abnormalities were arranged in different groupings. Multivariate analyses adjusted ECG prediction of CHD mortality for cohort, and baseline age, systolic blood pressure, serum cholesterol, body mass index and cigarette smoking. RESULTS: Silent ECG abnormalities of presumed severity were found in more than half of these elderly men, with higher prevalence in Finland, compared to the other two countries. Adjusted hazards ratios for CHD deaths as a function of major single or combined ECG abnormalities, such as QQS and ST-T abnormalities, arrhythmia, definite and possible myocardial infarction and an operative definition of ischaemia, are generally similar across areas varying according to severity from around 1.5 to almost 4. Groupings of minor and major ECG abnormalities in the pooled countries gave significant relative risks of 1.79 and 3.12 respectively, compared to the group without or with marginal abnormalities. Sensitivity and positive predictive value were low, while specificity was high. CONCLUSIONS: Silent ECG abnormalities in elderly people are common and they carry a high risk of coronary death in the next 10 years, with relative risk ranging from around 1.5 to almost 4 or more depending upon severity and combination of findings.

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Diet and cardiovascular diseases.

In spite of the decreasing trend in age-adjusted cardiovascular disease mortality in Western European countries, an increase in the cardiovascular morbidity is expected because of the ageing of the population. Consequently the health care cost for these diseases will increase. This article focuses on the role of diet in the occurrence of cardiovascular diseases. Total and HDL cholesterol are major determinants of coronary heart disease. Saturated and trans fatty acids have a total and LDL cholesterol elevating effect and unsaturated fatty acids a lowering effect. N-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids seem to have a protective effect on coronary heart disease occurrence independent of cholesterol. Dietary antioxidants could be of importance because they may prevent oxidation of the atherogenic cholesterol rich LDL lipoproteins. There is however no convincing evidence that either vitamin E, carotenoids or vitamin C protect against coronary heart disease. Observational research has shown that flavonols, polyphenols with strong antioxidant properties present in plant foods, may protect against coronary heart disease. Blood pressure is a major determinant of coronary heart disease and stroke. Historically salt is viewed as the most important dietary determinant of blood pressure. Recent research shows that also a low-fat diet rich in potassium, calcium and magnesium lowers blood pressure substantially. This suggests a multifactorial influence of different nutrients on blood pressure. It can be concluded that a diet low in saturated and trans fatty acids and rich in plant foods in combination with regular fish consumption is associated with a low risk of cardiovascular mortality.

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Role of smoking and diet in the cross-cultural variation in lung-cancer mortality: the Seven Countries Study. Seven Countries Study Research Group.

We examined the role of smoking and diet in the cross-cultural variation in lung-cancer mortality, using aggregated data of the Seven Countries Study, a follow-up study comprising 12,763 middle-aged men in 16 cohorts in Europe, the United States and Japan, which started around 1960. Smoking habits were assessed with a standardised questionnaire. Dietary intake was collected in random sub-samples of each cohort by the dietary record method. Cohort-specific 25-year lung-cancer mortality among all men and among categories of smoking behaviour was related to smoking prevalence and population average dietary intake, respectively, using Poisson regression. Smoking prevalence was positively associated with lung-cancer mortality [risk ratio 1.47, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.05-2.07, for an increase of 10 percentage points]. Lung-cancer mortality among smokers, which varied significantly among cultures, was positively associated with average fat intake, especially saturated fat intake (rate ratio 1.10, 95% CI 1.04-1.17, for an increase of 4.6 g) but not with unsaturated fat intake. Average fruit and vegetable intake were not related to lung-cancer mortality. Among never-smokers, the power to detect associations was low. In conclusion, both smoking prevalence and average fat intake, especially saturated fat, may play a role in the cross-cultural variation in lung-cancer mortality, either independently or by effect modification.

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Fish consumption and coronary heart disease mortality in Finland, Italy, and The Netherlands.

Fish consumption seems to protect against death from coronary heart disease (CHD). If this association is due to n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially fatty fish may be responsible for this protective effect. The association between total, lean, and fatty fish consumption and the risk of CHD mortality was examined in 1,088 Finnish, 1,097 Italian, and 553 Dutch men participants in the Seven Countries Study who were aged 50-69 years and free of CHD around 1970. After 20 years of follow-up, 242 (22.2%) men in Finland, 116 (10.6%) men in Italy, and 105 (19.0%) men in the Netherlands had died of CHD. Cox proportional hazards analysis showed no association between total fish consumption and CHD mortality. After adjustments were made for age, body mass index, smoking, energy intake, and relevant dietary variables, the pooled relative risk for the highest quartile of total fish compared with no fish consumption in the three countries was 1.08 (95% confidence interval: 0.76, 1.53). Lean fish consumption also was not associated with CHD mortality in any country. Fatty fish compared with non-fatty-fish consumption was associated with lower CHD mortality; the adjusted, pooled relative risk for fatty fish consumers was 0.66 (95% confidence interval: 0.49, 0.90). These data suggest that especially fatty fish is protective against CHD mortality.

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Underweight and overweight in relation to mortality among men aged 40-59 and 50-69 years: the Seven Countries Study.

This study investigated the relation between body mass index (BMI) and the all-cause mortality rate among 7,985 European men. Starting around 1960, when all men were aged 40-59 years, mortality was followed for 15 years (1960-1975); starting around 1970, the survivors were followed for an additional 15 years (1970-1985). For the first and second follow-up periods, a BMI of 18.5-25 kg/m2 around 1960 and 1970, respectively, was considered the reference category. The authors found that the hazard ratios of mortality for a BMI of <18.5 kg/m2 was 2.1 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.5, 2.8) for the first follow-up period and 1.7 (95% CI: 1.3, 2.2) for the second. A BMI of 25-30 kg/m2 was not related to increased mortality. Among never smokers, the hazard ratios for a BMI of >30 kg/m2 were 1.8 (95% CI: 1.2, 2.8) for the 1960-1975 follow-up period and 1.4 (95% CI: 1.0, 1.9) for the 1970-1985 follow-up period. A BMI of >30 kg/m2 was not related to increased mortality among current smokers. When mortality was followed for more than 15 years, the hazard ratio for a BMI of <18.5 kg/m2 declined and the hazard ratios for a BMI of >30 kg/m2 did not change. Underweight among those in all smoking categories and severe overweight in never smokers remained predictors of increased mortality when middle-aged men became older.

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The relation between blood pressure and mortality due to coronary heart disease among men in different parts of the world. Seven Countries Study Research Group.

BACKGROUND: Elevated blood pressure is known to be a risk factor for death from coronary heart disease (CHD). However, it is unclear whether the risk of death from CHD in relation to blood pressure varies among populations. METHODS: In six populations in different parts of the world, we examined systolic and diastolic blood pressures and hypertension in relation to long-term mortality from CHD, both with and without adjustment for variability in blood pressure within individual subjects. Blood pressure was measured at base-line in 12,031 men (age range, 40 to 59 years) who were free of CHD. During 25 years of follow-up, 1291 men died from CHD. RESULTS: At systolic and diastolic blood pressures of about 140 and 85 mm Hg, respectively, 25-year rates of mortality from CHD (standardized for age) varied by a factor of more than three among the populations. Rates in the United States and northern Europe were high (approximately 70 deaths per 10,000 person-years), but rates in Japan and Mediterranean southern Europe were low (approximately 20 deaths per 10,000 person-years). However, the relative increase in 25-year mortality from CHD for a given increase in blood pressure was similar among the populations. The overall unadjusted relative risk of death due to CHD was 1.17 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.14 to 1.20) per 10 mm Hg increase in systolic pressure and 1.13 (95 percent confidence interval, 1.10 to 1.15) per 5 mm Hg increase in diastolic pressure, and it was 1.28 for each of these increments after adjustment for within-subject variability in blood pressure. CONCLUSIONS: Among the six populations we studied, the relative increase in long-term mortality due to CHD for a given increase in blood pressure is similar, whereas the absolute risk at the same level of blood pressure varies substantially. If the absolute risk of CHD is used as an indication for antihypertensive therapy, these findings will have major implications for treatment in different parts of the world.

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Prospective investigation of emotional control and cancer risk in men (the Zutphen Elderly Study) (The Netherlands).

OBJECTIVES: Emotional control is hypothesized to increase cancer incidence and cancer mortality risk. We tested the hypothesis prospectively on all cancers in elderly men. METHODS: The Zutphen Elderly Study on lifestyle and chronic diseases started in 1985. The total sample consisted of 939 men born between 1900 and 1920 and living in Zutphen (response 74%). In 1985, emotional control was measured by questionnaire with the Courtald Emotional Control Scale (CECS). The CECS consists of three dimensions (anger, anxiety and depression). Emotional control scores were grouped in tertiles. Information on cancer incidence and mortality was collected until December 1994 through general practitioners and hospital administration (119 incidence cases, and 71 deaths from cancer). Cox proportional hazards analyses were performed, adjusted for sociodemographic, psychosocial, and lifestyle-related factors. RESULTS: Overall emotional control and emotional control of anger and of anxiety were not convincingly related to cancer risk. Intermediate control of depression was related to cancer incidence (fully adjusted RR = 1.7, 95% CI = 1.0-2.8). Both intermediate and high control of depression were related to cancer mortality (RR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.1-4.6 and RR = 2.1, 95% CI = 1.0-4.3, respectively). CONCLUSION: Our findings provide evidence that control of depression is related to cancer risk.

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Comparison of diets of diabetic and non-diabetic elderly men in Finland, The Netherlands and Italy.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether dietary recommendations for subjects with diabetes are met among Finnish, Dutch and Italian elderly men with diabetes, and whether the diets of diabetic and non-diabetic men differ in these three countries. DESIGN: A dietary survey using cross-check dietary history method. A cross-sectional comparison. SETTING: Thirty-year follow-up of survivors from the Finnish, Dutch and Italian cohorts of the Seven Countries Study. SUBJECTS: 227 elderly men from Finland, 537 from The Netherlands, and 417 from Italy, of whom 8-9% had diabetes. MAIN RESULTS: The diets of non-diabetic men from the three countries differed markedly from each other. In all three countries diabetic men consumed less added sugar than non-diabetic men. In Italy, in addition, diabetic men consumed more fruits and berries and vegetables. The Dutch diabetic men ate relatively more cereal products, fruits and berries, milk and milk products, cheese, and meat and meat products and drank less alcoholic beverages than non-diabetic men. The diet of both diabetic and non-diabetic Finnish and Dutch men was characterized by high fat content (41% and 40% of energy, respectively). The fat content of the diet was even higher for diabetic than non-diabetic men in Finland and The Netherlands, but not in Italy. The fibre content of the diet was the highest among Dutch men and diabetic men received more dietary fibre than non-diabetic men in The Netherlands and Italy, but not in Finland. The diet of diabetic and non-diabetic Finnish men differed little from each other and was characterized by high nutrient density of several vitamins and minerals. The proportion of protein of energy intake was higher among diabetic than non-diabetic Dutch and Italian men. CONCLUSIONS: The diet of the diabetic men from Finland, the Netherlands, and Italy resembled more the diet of non-diabetic men from the respective countries than the diet of diabetic men from the other countries. In the diet of Italian diabetic men, the proportions of fat, saturated fatty acids and carbohydrates were nearest the recommended levels. SPONSORSHIP: The National Institute on Aging, Bethesda, USA, the Dutch Prevention Foundation, the Hague, The Netherlands, the Academy of Finland, and the Sandoz Gerontological Foundation.

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Dietary glycemic index in relation to metabolic risk factors and incidence of coronary heart disease: the Zutphen Elderly Study.

OBJECTIVE: To examine whether a high dietary glycemic index is associated with hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia and coronary heart disease (CHD) risk in elderly men. DESIGN: Prospective study of incidence of major CHD (non-fatal myocardial infarction or death due to CHD) between 1985 and 1995 in 646 men, and a cross-sectional analysis of metabolic risk factors in 1990 in 394 men. SETTING: Population based study in the Dutch town Zutphen. SUBJECTS: Men aged 64-84 y in 1985 without a history of CHD or diabetes, whose diet was assessed with the cross-check dietary history method. RESULTS: The dietary glycemic index was positively correlated with consumption (g carbohydrate) of wheat bread (r=0.47) and sugar products (r=0.41) and inversely with fruit (r=-0.37) and milk (r=-0.40) consumption. During 4527 person-years of follow-up, 94 cases of CHD were documented. The risk ratio for CHD was 1.11 (95% CI, 0.66-1.87) for the highest as compared to the lowest tertile of glycemic index after correction for age, body mass index, physical activity, cigarette smoking, and dietary factors (P (trend)=0.70). Furthermore, the glycemic index was not appreciably associated with blood concentrations of total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triacylglycerols or (fasting or postload) insulin or glucose. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings do not support the hypothesis that a high-glycemic-index diet unfavorably affects metabolic risk factors or increases risk for CHD in elderly men without a history of diabetes or CHD.

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