High beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin are associated with low pulse wave velocity

Antioxidants are potentially beneficial in preventing vascular complications in diabetes because oxidative stress would be enhanced in such a condition and play an important role in vascular disorders. This study aimed to investigate whether brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) would be lower in the presence of high serum carotenoid concentrations stratified according to the glycemic state. A total of 297 men and 579 women between 30 and 70 years of age were analyzed cross-sectionally. Multivariate adjusted mean of baPWV in the highest tertile for beta-carotene (1386 cm/s) was lower than that in the lowest tertile (1432 cm/s) and that in the highest tertile for beta-cryptoxanthin (1382 cm/s) was lower than that in the middle tertile (1424 cm/s) in the case of normal fasting glucose. Similar inverse associations were observed in a group that included subjects with both impaired fasting glucose and diabetes, however, without statistical significance. The highest tertile of carotenoids was associated with a low risk for high baPWV (> or =1680 cm/s). Age, sex and glycemic state adjusted odds ratio was 0.35 (95% CI 0.20-0.60) for beta-carotene and 0.45 (0.27-0.77) for beta-cryptoxanthin. Multivariate adjustment did not alter the results. In conclusion, an inverse association of baPWV with beta-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthin was observed independently of the glycemic state.