Association of Midlife Dietary and Lifestyle Factors on Cardiac Functional Changes in the Elderly

This proposal will investigate how midlife factors in diet and lifestyle affect various aspects of cardiac structure and function related to ageing. The investigators plan to conduct the study among a sub-cohort of 600 participants from the Singapore Chinese Health Study. Comprehensive information on diet and lifestyle factors had been collected at recruitment and updated in two subsequent follow-up interviews. Candidate nutrition-related blood biomarkers such as vitamins D, homocysteine, fatty acids (short, medium and long-chain) and lipids (LDL, HDL, triglycerides) will be analyzed from samples obtained between 1999 and 2004. The investigators will study effects of smoking, alcohol consumption, sleep duration, physical activity and diet on cardiac ageing. The investigators will study overall dietary pattern, intake of specific items such as fatty acids, soy food, coffee and tea beverages, from validated food frequency questionnaires (FFQ), and nutrients from questionnaire information from this cohort previously obtained.

These nutrient and lifestyle factors will be studied individually, and for their joint or interactive effects on cardiac ageing measurements. Quantitative cardiac ageing-related outcome parameters describing cardiac mass, systolic and diastolic function, and vessel distensibility will be examined by cardiac magnetic resonance imaging. Maximum oxygen uptake (VO2 max) will be calculated based on age, gender, waist circumference, resting heart rate, and exercise habits. Body composition will be analysed by a body composition analyser machine onto which subjects stand on.