[Influence of meat consumption in relation to various cardiovascular risk factors in the elderly]

It has been analyzed food intake, energy and nutrients, Quetelet index, blood pressure and lipid profile in 180 elderly people from Madrid (71 institutionalized and 109 free-living), in order to get the relationship between meat intake (< 150 or > or = 150 g/day) and the different risk factors from cardiovascular disease and other foodstuff intake. Those elderly people who eat 150 g/day or more (AC) take more food in general. There is a significant difference for meat and cereals, eggs, fruits, beans, and fish products. They have only a poor intake of dairy products when comparing with those who eat less than 150 g/day (BC). As a result of these differences in food habits, the AC group has a superior intake of energy and most part of other nutrients. Nevertheless, it was only significant the difference for the niacin and for percentage of energy derived from saturated fatty acid. There are no significant differences in blood pressure. AC elderly have more Body Mass Index and show serum lipids more satisfactory than the BC ones. High meat intake is not related to high risk from cardiovascular diseases in our elderly people group. The reason is that this high intake is associated with a better intake of other foods which give them, in general, a better nutritional status (with better intake of vitamins related to lipidic metabolism) which may be observed at biochemical level.