Diet in the prevention and treatment of atherosclerosis. A perspective for the elderly.

Atherosclerosis is the leading cause of coronary heart disease among older persons. With an increasing elderly population, cardiovascular disease has become an urgent public health concern. Diet plays an important role in atherogenesis with known beneficial effects on major risk factors among the younger population--cholesterol, hypertension, and diabetes. Intervention studies are needed to establish the benefits of diet therapy in the elderly segment of the population. Efforts are also needed to educate the elderly and health professionals about the benefits of a healthy Step I diet.