This study was performed to determine the status of diet as a risk factor of cardiovascular heart disease in a group of Turkish elderly people. We performed a cross-sectional study using the data of voluntary participants aged between 65-74 years old. Participants completed 3-day diet records. Of participants, 64.1% of the men and 62.2% of the women reported their daily dietary fat intake as being > 30% of total energy (p > .05). More than 20% of these elderly respondents' daily intakes of vitamin E, vitamin B6, vitamin B12, and folate were found to be under the recommended values. As a result, the total fat intake of these elderly people was found to be high; while their intake of fiber and vitamin B6, vitamin B12 were found to be low, compared to American Heart Association recommendations. In conclusion, it is recommended that developing sufficient and balanced diets may decrease cardiovascular risk factors.
Keywords: cardiovascular risk factors; diet; elderly; nutrient intake.