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Cardiovascular disease mortality and serum carotenoid levels: a Japanese population-based follow-up study

Yoshinori Ito1, Mio Kurata, Koji Suzuki

  • 1Department of Preventive Medicine/Biostatistics and Medical Decision Making, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Japan. itoyo@med.nagoya-u.ac.jp

Journal of Epidemiology
|July 14, 2006
PubMed

Insights

High serum carotenoids, including alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and lycopene, are linked to lower cardiovascular disease mortality in Japanese adults. This suggests a protective role for these dietary compounds in heart health.

Area of Science:

  • Nutritional Epidemiology
  • Cardiovascular Health
  • Biomarkers

Background:

  • Observational studies suggest a link between dietary and serum carotenoids and reduced cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality.
  • Carotenoids are antioxidants with potential cardioprotective effects.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between serum carotenoid levels and CVD mortality in a Japanese cohort.
  • To determine if specific carotenoids (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lycopene) or total carotene influence CVD risk.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort of 3,061 Japanese adults (aged 39-80) was followed for 11.9 years.
  • Serum levels of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and lycopene were measured using high-performance liquid chromatography.
  • Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for confounders were used to estimate hazard ratios for CVD mortality.

Main Results:

  • High serum levels of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, and total carotene were significantly associated with lower CVD mortality.
  • A significant inverse association between high serum lycopene and stroke mortality was not consistently observed.
  • 80 CVD deaths, 40 heart disease deaths, and 37 stroke deaths occurred during follow-up.

Conclusions:

  • Elevated serum total carotene, primarily from alpha- and beta-carotenes and lycopene, may reduce cardiovascular disease mortality risk.
  • These findings support the potential cardioprotective role of carotenoids in the Japanese population.
Abstract

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