American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 66, 837-844, Copyright © 1997 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc

REVIEW ARTICLES

Carrying the burden of cardiovascular risk in old age: associations of weight and weight change with prevalent cardiovascular disease, risk factors, and health status in the Cardiovascular Health Study

TB Harris, PJ Savage, GS Tell, M Haan, S Kumanyika and JC Lynch
National Institute on Aging, Epidemiology, Demography and Biometry Program, Bethesda, MD 20892-9205, USA. Tamara_Harris@nih.gov

Measured weight in old age, reported weight at age 50 y, and weight change from age 50 y to old age were studied in association with prevalent cardiovascular disease (CVD), CVD risk factors, and health status in a population of 4954 men and women aged > or = 65 y in the Cardiovascular Health Study (CHS). Heavier weight (i.e., generally weight in the fourth quartile for the cohort) at age 50 y was more closely associated with prevalent CVD than was current weight, with these associations stronger in women than in men. Heavier current weight and heavier weight at age 50 y were associated with cardiovascular risk factors, including higher blood pressure, lower high-density-lipoprotein cholesterol, and higher fasting insulin. Heavier weight at both time points was related to mobility problems in both men and women and to lower current physical activity levels; among women, strong associations were also seen with lower education and current income. Remaining within 10% of reported weight at age 50 y was associated with better health status as measured by reported health, mobility difficulty, number of medications, and prevalent CVD in men. Paradoxically, most cardiovascular risk factors were lowest for weight losers despite an association of weight loss with poorer health. In this cohort of persons aged > or = 65 y, heavier weight was associated with CVD and CVD risk factors, suggesting that prevention of overweight may prove beneficial in improving cardiovascular risk in older persons. Weight stability from age 50 y to old age was associated with better health status than was weight gain or loss.

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