Aortic calcification . . . and other stories

ABSTRACT

Among 900 older women, median age 80, those who ate a diet rich in foods containing flavonoids, such as tea, fruit, red wine, and dark chocolate, were less likely to have abdominal aortic calcification detected in x rays of the lateral lumbar spine (Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol doi10.1161/ATVBAHA.122.318408). In the Rush Memory and Aging Project, a prospective study of community dwelling people in Chicago, those with the highest intake of flavonoids experienced a slower decline in cognitive performance, even after adjustment for age, sex, and smoking. Missing persons Despite the best efforts of investigators, people drop out of studies. Because those who leave differ from those who stay, this can introduce bias.