Journal Article

Dietary patterns, insulin sensitivity and inflammation in older adults

Harris, T B, Anderson, A L, Perry, S E, Houston, D K, Kanaya, A M, Sahyoun, N R, Tylavsky, F A, Lee, J S

2012

Overview

Background/Objectives: Several studies have linked dietary patterns to insulin sensitivity and systemic inflammation, which affect risk of multiple chronic diseases. The purpose of this study was to investigate the dietary patterns of a cohort of older adults, and to examine relationships of dietary patterns with markers of insulin sensitivity and systemic inflammation. Subjects/Methods: The Health, Aging and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study is a prospective cohort study of 3075 older adults. In Health ABC, multiple indicators of glucose metabolism and systemic inflammation were assessed. Food intake was estimated with a modified Block food frequency questionnaire. In this study, dietary patterns of 1751 participants with complete data were derived by cluster analysis. Results: Six clusters were identified, including a ‘healthy foods’ cluster, characterized by higher intake of low-fat dairy products, fruit, whole grains, poultry, fish and vegetables. In the main analysis, the ‘healthy foods’ cluster had significantly lower fasting insulin and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance values than the ‘breakfast cereal’ and ‘high-fat dairy products’ clusters, and lower fasting glucose than the ‘high-fat dairy products’ cluster ( P⩽ 0.05). No differences were found in 2-h glucose. With respect to inflammation, the ‘healthy foods’ cluster had lower interleukin-6 than the ‘sweets and desserts’ and ‘high-fat dairy products’ clusters, and no differences were seen in C-reactive protein or tumor necrosis factor-α. Conclusions: A dietary pattern high in low-fat dairy products, fruit, whole grains, poultry, fish and vegetables may be associated with greater insulin sensitivity and lower systemic inflammation in older adults.

• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group UK,Nature Publishing Group
• Subject: Aged / Aging / Aging - physiology / Biological and medical sciences / Biomarkers - blood / Blood Glucose - metabolism / body composition / breakfast cereals / C-reactive protein / chronic diseases / Clinical Nutrition / cluster analysis / Cohort Studies / Dairy products / desserts / Diagnosis / Diet / Diet - standards / eating habits / elderly / Epidemiology / Fasting / Feeding Behavior / Feeding. Feeding behavior / Female / fish / Food / food frequency questionnaires / Food habits / food intake / Fruits / Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology / Geriatric Assessment / Glucose / Grain / Health aspects / healthy diet / high fat dairy products / homeostasis / Humans / Inflammation / Inflammation - blood / Inflammatory diseases / Insulin / Insulin - blood / Insulin Resistance / interleukin-6 / Interleukin-6 - blood / Internal Medicine / low fat dairy products / Male / Medical sciences / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Metabolic Diseases / metabolism / Nutrition Assessment / Older people / original-article / Poultry / Public Health / risk / sweets / tumor necrosis factor-alpha / Vegetables / Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems / whole grain foods