IRON AND ZINC STATUS OF WOMEN AND MEN WHO FOLLOWED CHOLESTEROL-LOWERING DIETS

Objective To determine if men and women taught the National Cholestero l Education Program step 2 diet experienced diminished iron or zinc st atus after 2 years of consuming the diet. Design Subjects attended 8 w eeks of diet classes and follow-up counseling. Four-day food records, zinc protoporphyrin/heme (ZPP/H, a measure of iron stores), hematocrit , and plasma zinc values were collected at baseline, 1 year, and 2 yea rs. Subjects Participants in a study of the efficacy of the step 2 die t (213 men and 151 women) who had low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels above the 75th percentile, and who were not taking lipid-alteri ng medication. Statistical analyses Paired t tests to compare preinter vention and postintervention test results. Two-sample t tests to compa re gender, menopause status, and hormone-use groups. Analysis of varia nce was performed to compare plasma zinc levels among diet-adherence s ubgroups. Individual evaluation of outlying values and backward stepwi se regression to determine the independent effects of variables were a lso completed. Results Mean dietary intake approached or exceeded step 2 guidelines. Density of iron intake increased. Density of zinc intak e was unchanged, but mean intake was low. Mean ZPP/H and hematocrit di d not change for premenopausal or post-menopausal women with or withou t supplemental hormones; men's values changed only slightly. Abnormal ZPP/H and hematocrit occurred sporadically. Mean plasma zinc levels di d not differ from baseline for women, increased slightly for men, and did not differ by level of dietary adherence. No plasma zinc concentra tions were below normal. Application In this large-scale, 2-year prosp ective study of women and men, no adverse effects on intake or plasma indicators of iron and zinc were detected as a result of subjects bein g taught the NCEP step 2 diet.