X-Message-Number: 9175
Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 01:25:58 -0800 (PST)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: Risk Factors in the Oldest-Old

 "Risk Factors for All-Cause and Coronary Heart Disease Mortality in the
 Oldest-Old: The Adventist Health Study"
 Arch Inern Med 157: 2249-2258 1997

 Abstract:

  Background: The oldest-old population ( >= 84 years of age) is growing
 rapidly and consumes a disproportionate amount of health care dollars.
 Risk factors for disease have not been extensively studied in this
 group.

  Methods: A cohort study of non-Hispanic white Seventh-Day Adventists
 from California allowed follow-up for mortality from 1976 through 1988.
 Associations between tradional risk factors, consumption of selected
 foods, and both coronary heart disease (CHD) and all-cause mortality were
 evaluated in the oldest-old portion of this population, using
 proportional hazards regression analyses.

  Results: we observed 364 cases of CHD and 1387 total deaths during
 11,828 person-years of follow-up. Men had higher risk of both all-cause
 mortality and mortality from CHD. The relative risks (RRs) associated
 with diabetes mellitus were 1.51 for all deaths amd 1.95 for mortality
 from CHD. The apparent effects of hypertension were small unless subjects
 were currently taking antihypertensive medications. Compared with those
 with no regular vigorous activity, subjects who exercised at least 3
 times each week had RRs of death of 0.80 and 0.74 for mortality from CHD.
 Subjects who consumed nuts 5 times per week had RRs of death of 0.82 and
 0.61 for death from CHD compared with those consuming nuts less than
 weekly. In men, regular consumption of donuts appeared hazardous for both
 all-cause mortality (RR, 1.40) and mortality from CHD (RR, 2.10), and
 consumption of beef 4 times weekly was associated with a 2-fold RR for
 CHD compared with vegetarians, but there was no increase in risk for
 women.

  Conclusions: Even in the oldest-old, certain traditional risk factors
 and dietary habits are associated with mortality.

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