Nutritional patterns in the diet of 50-year-old and 60-year-old Vilnius men: a 10-year comparative study ; Penkiasdešimtmečių ir šešiasdešimtmečių Vilniaus miesto vyrų mitybos raciono ypatumai: lyginamasis dešimties metų tyrimas

Background. Over the past decade, mortality caused by coronary heart disease (CHD) has been rising in Lithuania. There is a close relationship between nutrition and CHD. We failed to find any confirming data from any comparative studies showing the actual nutritional stalus of a population either in Lithuania or other Baltic States. Therefore, the purpose of our study was to compare the state of nutrition in a population of 50-year-old men with the same group ot men alter a period of 10 years. Materials and methods. We investigated 82 randomly selected 60-year-old men who took part in the LiVicordia study in 1994. Food intake was studied by the 24-hour recall method. Results. The diet of the men was loo rich in animal fat, mono- and disaccharides, and il was poor in complex carbohydrates, vegetable fat, and some antioxidant vitamins. The total energy intake of the men investigated in 1994 was higher than it was in 2004 because of a significantly higher tat intake. The mineral composition of the diet did not significantly change, with the exception of calcium, the daily intake of which was significantly higher in 20(14 compared to the one in 1994. Daily intake of vitamin E was significantly lower in 2004 than it was 10 years earlier. Conclusions. The chemicaJ composition of the diet of Vilnius men during the 10-year pfr riod was unbalanced and unhealthy (too rich in animal fat, mono- and disaccharides, and too poor in vegetable fat and vitamin E) and could therefore be considered a risk factor for CHD.