Nutrition, Diet Quality, and Cardiovascular Health

Abstract Atherosclerosis and subsequent cardiovascular complications, such as myocardial infarction, stroke, and heart failure, are leading causes of death worldwide. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk increases significantly with age in both men and women due to factors such as aging-related visceral fat accumulation, arterial stiffness, inflammation, cellular senescence, and oxidative stress. Most major CVD risk factors are modifiable by diet and lifestyle intervention, including dyslipidemia, hypertension, diabetes, obesity, and metabolic syndrome. Several recent nutritional recommendations for CVD prevention have included emphasis on dietary patterns incorporating functional foods including increasing consumption of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and reducing consumption of saturated and trans -fats, sodium, and simple carbohydrates/sugars. Optimal medical nutrition therapy is key in preventing or reducing these major risk factors for CVD. This chapter will review the clinical, epidemiological, and mechanistic evidences on single nutrients, functional foods, and dietary patterns in aging-related CVD prevention and treatment.