The present study examines the influence of parental history of death from cardiovascular disease on dietary habits and nutritional status of a group of seventy-two Spanish elderly. Those with at least one parent who had died of cardiovascular disease (43.1% of the cases) had higher diastolic blood pressure (P < 0.05) and nutrient intakes less favourable from the cardiovascular risk point of view than those whose parents died of other causes. Descendants whose parents died of cardiovascular disease had higher total fat, animal fat, saturated fatty acids, myristic acid and palmitic acid intakes and a lower monounsaturated fatty acids:saturated fatty acids value than descendants of those who died from other causes (all P < 0.05).