alpha-carotene and Myocardial-Ischemia

Healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables is an important factor in prevention of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). Some previous epidemiological studies have suggested that dietary and serum carotenoids are associated with decreased CVD mortality, but the results have been inconsistent. We assessed relations between the concentrations of serum carotenoids and CVD mortality among Eastern Finnish men.. The study population consisted of 1031 Eastern Finnish men aged 46-65 years in the Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease Risk Factor (KIHD) cohort. Subjects were classified quartiles according to concentrations of carotenoids and subgroups according to risk factors. Hazard ratios of serum lycopene, α-carotene and β-carotene were estimated by the Cox proportional hazard model after adjusting for potential confounding factors. During the median 15.9-year follow-up, 122 deaths from CVDs, were identified among the cohort subjects. Low serum concentrations of β-carotene were strongly related to an increased CVD mortality risk after adjustment for confounders. For β-carotene, the hazard ratio (95% confidence interval) for the lowest versus highest quartile was 2.23 (1.26-3.93; P=0.006). However, the strongest risk of CVD mortality was observed among smokers with lowest levels of β-carotene (HR=3.15, 95%, CI: 1.19-8.33; P=0.020). Other carotenoids and the sum of carotenoids were not significantly related to increased risk of CVD mortality.. Low concentrations of serum β-carotene concentrations may increase the risk for CVD mortality among Eastern Finnish men; thus elevated serum concentrations of β-carotene may have clinical and public health relevance.

Topics: Adult; beta Carotene; Carotenoids; Diet; Finland; Follow-Up Studies; Fruit; Humans; Lycopene; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Ischemia; Proportional Hazards Models; Prospective Studies; Risk Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Vegetables; White People

Low circulating levels of carotenoids have been associated with cardiovascular disease. The distribution of different carotenoids in blood may have an impact on the cardioprotective capacity. The aim of the present study was to determine the plasma levels of 6 major carotenoids in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and relate the findings to clinical, metabolic and immune parameters.. Plasma levels of oxygenated carotenoids (lutein, zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin) and hydrocarbon carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene) were determined in 39 patients with acute coronary syndrome, 50 patients with stable CAD and 50 controls. Serological assays for inflammatory activity and flow cytometrical analysis of lymphocyte subsets were performed. Both patient groups had significantly lower plasma levels of oxygenated carotenoids, in particular lutein+zeaxanthin, compared to controls. Low levels of oxygenated carotenoids were associated with smoking, high body mass index (BMI), low high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and, to a minor degree, inflammatory activity. Plasma levels of lutein+zeaxanthin were independently associated with the proportions of natural killer (NK) cells, but not with other lymphocytes, in blood.. Among carotenoids, lutein+zeaxanthin and beta-cryptoxanthin were significantly reduced in CAD patients independent of clinical setting. The levels were correlated to a number of established cardiovascular risk factors. In addition, the relationship between NK cells and lutein+zeaxanthin may indicate a particular role for certain carotenoids in the immunological scenario of CAD.

Topics: Acute Disease; Aged; Angina Pectoris; beta Carotene; Biomarkers; C-Reactive Protein; Carotenoids; Chronic Disease; Coronary Artery Disease; Cryptoxanthins; Female; Humans; Interleukin-6; Killer Cells, Natural; Lutein; Lycopene; Lymphocyte Count; Male; Middle Aged; Myocardial Ischemia; Xanthophylls; Zeaxanthins

To elucidate the association between arsenic-related ischemic heart disease (ISHD) and serum antioxidant micronutrient level, residents aged 30 or older living in arseniasis-hyperendemic villages in Taiwan were recruited in a community-based health survey. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain a history of long-term exposure to arsenic through consuming artesian well water and fasting serum samples were also collected at the recruitment. A total of 74 patients affected with ISHD, who were diagnosed through both electrocardiography and Rose questionnaire interview, and 193 age-sex-matched healthy controls were selected for the examination of serum levels of micronutrients by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). There was a significant biological gradient between the risk of ISHD and the duration of consuming high-arsenic artesian well water. A significant reverse dose-response relationship with arsenic-related ISHD was observed for serum level of alpha- and beta-carotene, but not for serum levels of retinol, lycopene and alpha-tocopherol. Multivariate analysis showed a synergistic interaction on arsenic-related ISHD between duration of consuming artesian well water and low serum carotene level. An increased risk of arsenic-related ISHD was also associated with hypertension and elevated body mass index, but not with serum lipid profile, cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking. The findings seem to suggest that arsenic-related ISHD has a pathogenic mechanism which is at least partially different from that of ISHD unrelated to long-term exposure to arsenic.

Topics: Adult; Alcohol Drinking; Antioxidants; Arsenic; beta Carotene; Carotenoids; Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; Humans; Lycopene; Multivariate Analysis; Myocardial Ischemia; Risk Factors; Smoking; Socioeconomic Factors; Surveys and Questionnaires; Taiwan; Time Factors; Vitamin A; Vitamin E; Water Supply