CARDIOVASCULAR EFFECTS OF FOOD IN YOUNG AND ELDERLY ADULTS

The goal of this study was to clarify discrepancies in research on the cardiovascular response to food as a Function of age. The study looked at the blood pressure and heart rate effects of a standard meal in 32 young (20-39 years) and 54 elderly (66-84 years) subjects during sitting and standing conditions. Subjects were evaluated for 120 minutes following ingestion of a 468 kcal breakfast (74% carbohydrate). A no-meal condition was used as a control. Both young and elderly subjects responded to food with increased heart rate and decreased diastolic blood pressure. Postprandial systolic blood pressure dropped in the elderly and increased in the young. Compared with the young, older subjects had larger postprandial decreases in sitting and standing mean arterial pressure and standing diastolic blood pressure. Whether one is conducting blood pressure research or evaluating blood pressure clinically, it is essential to be aware of when subjects have last eaten, and if possible, to control for these effects, which may differ as a function of age.