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. 2014 Oct 29;100(6):1489–1497. doi: 10.3945/ajcn.114.085605

TABLE 3.

ORs (95% CIs) of healthy aging, according to quintiles of flavonoid intakes at midlife1

Flavonoid intake
Quintile 1 Quintile 2 Quintile 3 Quintile 4 Quintile 5 P-trend
Flavonols, mg/d 7.7 (6.2–8.8)2 11.6 (10.7–12.5) 15.4 (14.4–16.7) 21.7 (19.7–24.1) 35.9 (31.2–43.2)
 Healthy ager, n 243 272 267 308 311
 Age adjusted Reference 1.13 (0.95, 1.36) 1.11 (0.93, 1.34) 1.32 (1.10, 1.57) 1.35 (1.13, 1.61) <0.001
 Multivariable adjusted3 Reference 1.01 (0.84, 1.22) 0.95 (0.78, 1.15) 1.13 (0.94, 1.36) 1.18 (0.98, 1.42) 0.02
Flavones, mg/d 0.9 (0.6–1.0) 1.5 (1.4–1.7) 2.1 (2.0–2.3) 2.7 (2.5–2.9) 3.7 (3.4–4.4)
 Healthy ager, n 242 287 300 325 363
 Age adjusted Reference 1.22 (1.02, 1.46) 1.30 (1.09, 1.55) 1.41 (1.18, 1.68) 1.61 (1.36, 1.91) <0.001
 Multivariable adjusted3 Reference 1.11 (0.92, 1.33) 1.15 (0.95, 1.38) 1.19 (0.99, 1.44) 1.32 (1.10, 1.58) 0.002
Flavanones, mg/d 9.0 (5.0–13.4) 26.8 (22.5–31.0) 43.1 (39.2–46.9) 60.0 (55.4–64.9) 89.8 (78.3–108.2)
 Healthy ager, n 260 276 310 298 373
 Age adjusted Reference 1.07 (0.90, 1.28) 1.22 (1.03, 1.46) 1.18 (0.99, 1.41) 1.53 (1.29, 1.81) <0.001
 Multivariable adjusted3 Reference 1.00 (0.83, 1.20) 1.11 (0.93, 1.33) 1.05 (0.87, 1.26) 1.28 (1.08, 1.53) 0.003
Flavan-3-ol monomers, mg/d 9.2 (6.9–11.3) 16.6 (14.7–18.7) 27.7 (24.0–32.8) 54.5 (46.0–64.3) 128.2 (96.6–178.0)
 Healthy ager, n 255 326 319 305 312
 Age adjusted Reference 1.32 (1.11, 1.57) 1.30 (1.09, 1.55) 1.23 (1.03, 1.47) 1.26 (1.06, 1.50) 0.33
 Multivariable adjusted3 Reference 1.11 (0.92, 1.33) 1.07 (0.89, 1.28) 1.03 (0.86, 1.24) 1.04 (0.87, 1.25) 0.80
Flavan-3-ol polymers, mg/d 55 (41–67) 100 (89–112) 152 (138–169) 238 (211–271) 478 (377–641)
 Healthy ager, n 251 307 319 315 325
 Age adjusted Reference 1.27 (1.06, 1.51) 1.32 (1.11, 1.57) 1.30 (1.09, 1.55) 1.35 (1.13, 1.60) 0.02
 Multivariable adjusted3 Reference 1.11 (0.92, 1.33) 1.11 (0.92, 1.33) 1.05 (0.88, 1.27) 1.10 (0.92, 1.32) 0.63
Anthocyanins, mg/d 2.8 (1.8–3.6) 5.6 (4.9–6.4) 9.4 (8.3–10.6) 14.5 (13.1–16.0) 24.2 (20.4–32.1)
 Healthy ager, n 242 262 289 342 382
 Age adjusted Reference 1.10 (0.91, 1.32) 1.23 (1.02, 1.47) 1.47 (1.24, 1.75) 1.69 (1.43, 2.01) <0.001
 Multivariable adjusted3 Reference 0.97 (0.80, 1.18) 1.04 (0.86, 1.26) 1.18 (0.98, 1.42) 1.25 (1.04, 1.50) 0.002
Total flavonoids, mg/d 124 (99–144) 194 (178–211) 269 (248–291) 383 (348–428) 705 (568–918)
 Healthy ager, n 221 281 291 299 309
 Age adjusted Reference 1.32 (1.09, 1.59) 1.38 (1.15, 1.66) 1.42 (1.18, 1.71) 1.47 (1.22, 1.76) 0.001
 Multivariable adjusted3 Reference 1.14 (0.94, 1.38) 1.12 (0.92, 1.35) 1.12 (0.92, 1.36) 1.18 (0.97, 1.42) 0.22
1

ORs >1 denote greater odds of healthy aging. These analyses included 1517 healthy agers compared with 12,301 usual agers for all flavonoid subclasses except flavonols and total flavonoids, for which analyses included 1401 healthy agers and 11,036 usual agers (e.g., women with flavonols ascertained in 1990).

2

Median; IQR in parentheses (all such values).

3

Logistic regression models were adjusted for age (y); education (associate's degree, bachelor's degree, graduate degree); marriage status (married, widowed, or separated/divorced); median income (quintiles); median house value (quintiles); family histories of diabetes, cancer, and myocardial infarction (yes or no); physical activity (quintiles of metabolic equivalent task-hours); energy intake (quintiles of kcal); smoking (never smoker, past smoker of 1–14, 15–24, or ≥25 cigarettes/d, or current smoker of 1–14, 15–24, or ≥25 cigarettes/d); multivitamin use (yes or no); aspirin use (<1, 1–2, or >2 tablets/wk); BMI (in kg/m2; <22, 23–24, 25–29, or ≥30); history of high blood pressure (yes or no); history of hypercholesterolemia (yes or no); and Alternative Healthy Eating Index-2010 score (quintiles).