Associations between antioxidants and all-cause mortality among US adults with obstructive lung function

Br J Nutr. 2014 Nov 28;112(10):1662-73. doi: 10.1017/S0007114514002669. Epub 2014 Oct 15.

Abstract

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is characterised by oxidative stress, but little is known about the associations between antioxidant status and all-cause mortality in adults with this disease. The objective of the present study was to examine the prospective associations between concentrations of α- and β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin, lycopene, Se, vitamin C and α-tocopherol and all-cause mortality among US adults with obstructive lung function. Data collected from 1492 adults aged 20-79 years with obstructive lung function in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey III (1988-94) were used. Through 2006, 629 deaths were identified during a median follow-up period of 14 years. After adjustment for demographic variables, the concentrations of the following antioxidants modelled as continuous variables were found to be inversely associated with all-cause mortality among adults with obstructive lung function: α-carotene (P= 0·037); β-carotene (P= 0·022); cryptoxanthin (P= 0·022); lutein/zeaxanthin (P= 0·004); total carotenoids (P= 0·001); vitamin C (P< 0·001). In maximally adjusted models, only the concentrations of lycopene (P= 0·013) and vitamin C (P= 0·046) were found to be significantly and inversely associated with all-cause mortality. No effect modification by sex was detected, but the association between lutein/zeaxanthin concentrations and all-cause mortality varied by smoking status (P interaction= 0·048). The concentrations of lycopene and vitamin C were inversely associated with all-cause mortality in this cohort of adults with obstructive lung function.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Antioxidants / pharmacology*
  • Ascorbic Acid / pharmacology*
  • Carotenoids / pharmacology*
  • Cause of Death*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Lung / pathology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Prospective Studies
  • Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive / mortality*
  • Smoking / mortality
  • United States
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Carotenoids
  • Ascorbic Acid