Whole‐grain intake and risk of all‐cause mortality among elderly men and women: the Cache, County Study on Memory, Health and Aging

Abstract

ObjectiveThis study examines associations between whole‐grain consumption and all‐cause mortality among elderly men and women of the Cache County Study on Memory, Health and Aging.DesignParticipants were 3624 men and women 65 years of age or older who were living in Cache County, Utah in 1995. Participants completed a food frequency questionnaire and survey of health‐related behaviors. Proportional hazards survival analyses were used to assess the associations between increasing quintile (Q) of whole‐grain intake and risk of death by any cause. Covariates included age, gender, body mass index, level of physical activity, history of smoking and vascular disease, and incidence of dementia.ResultsOver a 12‐year‐follow‐up period, increasing whole‐grain intake was inversely associated with total mortality. The relative hazards of death for Q2‐5 of whole grain intake compared to Q1 were 0.80 (95% CI: 0.68, 0.94), 0.80 (0.69, 0.94), 0.77 (0.66, 0.90), and 0.72 (0.62, 0.85), respectively (P = 0.0009).ConclusionIn this population study of elderly men and women, consuming in the highest quintile of whole‐grain intake was associated with almost a 30% lower risk of death compared to the lowest quintile. The findings suggest a potential health benefit of whole‐grain intake among elderly men and women.