Heart Disease Health Center

Elderly Get Same Fiber Benefit as Others

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More than 300 papers have been published using information from the Cardiovascular Health Study, and about half of the study participants are still living, project officer Jean L. Olson, MD, MPH, tells WebMD. One emerging theme from the data is that the lifestyle and medical interventions recommended for lowering heart disease risk in middle-age people remain important for the elderly, she says.

"Doctors are often hesitant about treating elderly people or recommending lifestyle changes for a variety of reasons," Olson says." They may feel that the damage has been done, or older patients may already be on too many other medications. But just because someone is older doesn't mean they can't still benefit from these interventions."