Abstract
Objectives
The aim of this study was to compare standard lipid profile, reported dietary intake, and physical activity in older adults who reported taking or not taking a lipid-lowering medication, namely statins.
Design
Cross-sectional study utilizing baseline data collected from a subsample of a larger randomized clinical trial, The Study of Exercise and Nutrition in Older Rhode Islanders (SENIOR) Project.
Participants and Setting
A total of 115 participants, 33 males and 82 females, over the age of 60, community-dwelling, primarily retired, and from East Providence, Rhode Island and surrounding communities in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
Measurements
Height and weight were measured and used to calculate body mass index. Waist circumference was measured. Medical history and medication use surveys were completed. Dietary assessment was done via three 24 hour recalls using NDS-R. The Yale Physical Activity Survey was used to determine energy expenditure during exercise and a physical activity summary score. Fasting blood samples were obtained to determine lipid profile.
Results
37 participants (32.2%) reported taking lipid-lowering medication, statins exclusively, and 78 (67.8%) reported not taking any lipid-lowering medication. Participants who reported taking statins had better lipid profiles than those participants who reported not taking statins but had significantly lower intakes of vitamin B12, vitamin K, calcium, and potassium. There were no differences between groups on reported physical activity. However, the mean intakes for both groups did not meet the Dietary Reference Intakes for multiple nutrients.
Conclusion
Older adults need additional education on the importance of lifestyle changes in reducing CHD risk, whether taking lipid-lowering medications or not.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
American Heart Association. Heart Disease and Stroke Statistics — 2008 Update. Dallas, Texas: American Heart Association, 2008.
Executive Summary of The Third Report of The National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, And Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol In Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III). Jama 2001;285:2486–2497.
Jenkins DJ, Kendall CW, Marchie A, et al. Direct comparison of a dietary portfolio of cholesterol-lowering foods with a statin in hypercholesterolemic participants. Am J Clin Nutr 2005;81:380–387.
Third Report of the National Cholesterol Education Program (NCEP) Expert Panel on Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Cholesterol in Adults (Adult Treatment Panel III) final report. Circulation 2002;106:3143–3421.
Grundy SM, Cleeman JI, Merz CN, et al. Implications of recent clinical trials for the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines. Circulation 2004;110:227–239.
Mann DM, Allegrante JP, Natarajan S, Montori VM, Halm EA, Charlson M. Dietary indiscretion and statin use. Mayo Clin Proc 2007;82:951–957.
Lichtenstein AH, Appel LJ, Brands M, et al. Diet and lifestyle recommendations revision 2006: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association Nutrition Committee. Circulation 2006;114:82–96.
Seagle HM, Strain GW, Makris A, Reeves RS. Position of the American Dietetic Association: weight management. J Am Diet Assoc 2009;109:330–346.
Nutrition and Your Health: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2005. 6th Edition. Washington, D.C.: US Government Printing Office, 2005:1–19.
Nelson ME, Rejeski WJ, Blair SN, et al. Physical activity and public health in older adults: recommendation from the American College of Sports Medicine and the American Heart Association. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2007;39:1435–1445.
McGinnis B, Olson KL, Magid D, et al. Factors related to adherence to statin therapy. Ann Pharmacother 2007;41:1805–1811.
Perreault S, Blais L, Lamarre D, et al. Persistence and determinants of statin therapy among middle-aged patients for primary and secondary prevention. Br J Clin Pharmacol 2005;59:564–573.
Munger MA, Van Tassell BW, LaFleur J. Medication nonadherence: an unrecognized cardiovascular risk factor. MedGenMed 2007;9:58.
Wang PS, Bohn RL, Knight E, Glynn RJ, Mogun H, Avorn J. Noncompliance with antihypertensive medications: the impact of depressive symptoms and psychosocial factors. J Gen Intern Med 2002;17:504–511.
Clark PG, Nigg CR, Greene G, Riebe D, Saunders SD. The Study of Exercise and Nutrition in Older Rhode Islanders (SENIOR): translating theory into research. Health Educ Res 2002;17:552–561.
Clark PG, Rossi JS, Greaney ML, et al. Intervening on exercise and nutrition in older adults: the Rhode Island SENIOR Project. J Aging Health 2005;17:753–778.
Saunders SD, Greaney ML, Lees FD, Clark PG. Achieving recruitment goals through community partnerships: the SENIOR Project. Fam Community Health 2003;26:194–202.
Mulligan JE, Greene GW, Caldwell M. Sources of folate and serum folate levels in older adults. J Am Diet Assoc 2007;107:495–499.
United States Department of Agriculture. What we eat in America 1994–96, Continuing Survey of Food Intakes by Individuals (CSFII) 1994–1996 [public use CD-ROM].
Yaroch AL, Nebeling L, Thompson FE, et al. Baseline design elements and sample characteristics for seven sites participating in the Nutrition Working Group of the Behavior Change Consortium. J Nutr 2008;138:185S–192S.
Dipietro L, Caspersen CJ, Ostfeld AM, Nadel ER. A survey for assessing physical activity among older adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1993;25:628–642.
Harada ND, Chiu V, King AC, Stewart AL. An evaluation of three self-report physical activity instruments for older adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001;33:962–970.
Young DR, Jee SH, Appel LJ. A comparison of the Yale Physical Activity Survey with other physical activity measures. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2001;33:955–961.
Kruskall LJ, Campbell WW, Evans WJ. The Yale Physical Activity Survey for older adults: predictions in the energy expenditure due to physical activity. J Am Diet Assoc 2004;104:1251–1257.
Gidez LI, Miller GJ, Burstein M, Slagle S, Eder HA. Separation and quantitation of subclasses of human plasma high density lipoproteins by a simple precipitation procedure. J Lipid Res 1982;23:1206–1223.
Friedewald WT, Levy RI, Fredrickson DS. Estimation of the concentration of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in plasma, without use of the preparative ultracentrifuge. Clin Chem 1972;18:499–502.
Thompson FE, Subar AF, Smith AF, et al. Fruit and vegetable assessment: performance of 2 new short instruments and a food frequency questionnaire. J Am Diet Assoc 2002;102:1764–1772.
Boumendil EF. Descriptive study of lipid-modulating drug use in a French professional population. J Clin Epidemiol 1994;47:1163–1171.
Avorn J, Monette J, Lacour A, et al. Persistence of use of lipid-lowering medications: a cross-national study. Jama 1998;279:1458–1462.
Lytsy P, Westerling R. Patient expectations on lipid-lowering drugs. Patient Educ Couns 2007;67:143–150.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lofgren, I., Greene, G., Schembre, S. et al. Comparison of diet quality, physical activity and biochemical values of older adults either reporting or not reporting use of lipid-lowering medication. J Nutr Health Aging 14, 168–172 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-010-0030-0
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-010-0030-0