NUTRITION, AGING, AND AGE-DEPENDENT DISEASES 0749-0690 /95 $0.00 + .20 DIET IN THE PREVENTION AND TREATMENT OF ATHEROSCLEROSIS A Perspective for the Elderly Uma Srinath, MS, Satya S. Jonnalagadda, PhD, Mary C. Naglak, MMSc, RD, Catherine Champagne, PhD, RD, LDN, and P.M. Kris-Etherton, PhD, RD Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death in the United States and accounts for more deaths than all other causes combined." The pro- gressive nature of CVD results in the incidence being highest among older people (Fig. I), although it is not uncommon among younger individuals. Atherosclerosis is the underlying cause of coronary heart disease (CHD) in the elderly. With an increasing elderly population, CVD has become an urgent public health concern. Diet plays a major role in atherogenesis because of its effects on major risk factors of CVD-an elevated blood cholesterol level, hypertension, and diabetes.17Few studies have examined the beneficial effects of diet in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis in the elderly (greater than 65 years). In this article, we examine the prevalence of the disease, especially as it relates to aging, review major risk factors for CVD, and discuss the efficacy of intervention studies with the elderly. In addition, we discuss the benefits of diet in the prevention and treatment of CHD in the elderly. PREVALENCE The Framingham Heart Study has clearly shown that the prevalence of CHD is highest in persons over 60 years of age (Fig. 1). For men there is an appre- This work was supported by the Pennsylvania Agricultural Experiment Station. From the Nutrition Department, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Penn- sylvania; and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Baton Rouge, Louisiana (CC) CLINICS IN GERIATRIC MEDICINE VOLUME 11. NUMBER 4. NOVEMBER 1995 591