DIETARY-LIPID INTAKE AND SERUM-LIPIDS IN OLDER MEN AND WOMEN - A LONGITUDINAL-STUDY

The relationship of dietary fat to atherosclerosis is an area of conti nuing research. In order to establish if there is a seasonal variation in lipid status, we determined the dietary intake of lipids as well a s their serum levels in 65 (33 males and 32 females) free-living subje cts (67-75 years) in winter and summer. Both fat and cholesterol intak es were generally higher for men than women, but no seasonal differenc es were found for either gender. Nor in either sex was there any signi ficant association of dietary fat intake (polyunsaturated/saturated fa tty acid ratio) with either triglycerides or cholesterol levels in ser um. Dietary unsaturated fatty acid but not the cholesterol intake appe ared to have a marginal effect on serum cholesterol. According to the Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists reference standards for total se rum cholesterol, 18% of the men and 41% of the women in this study pop ulation would be classified as high-risk (> 5.2 mmol/liter). HDL chole sterol, however, was consistently higher in the women. Total fat intak e contributed 34% of total energy for both genders regardless of the s eason.