Lung Function in Relation to Intake of Carotenoids and Other Antioxidant Vitamins in a Population-based Study

• Published in: American journal of epidemiology Vol. 155; no. 5; pp. 463 - 471
• Main Authors: Schünemann, Holger J., McCann, Susan, Grant, Brydon J. B., Trevisan, Maurizio, Muti, Paola, Freudenheim, Jo L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Cary, NC Oxford University Press 01.03.2002; Oxford Publishing Limited (England)
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Air. Soil. Water. Waste. Feeding; airway obstruction; antioxidants; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Ascorbic Acid - pharmacology; Biological and medical sciences; carotenoids; Carotenoids - pharmacology; Cross-Sectional Studies; Diet; Environment. Living conditions; Female; FEV1; Forced Expiratory Volume; forced expiratory volume in 1 second; forced expiratory volume in 1 second as the percentage of the predicted value; forced vital capacity; forced vital capacity as the percentage of the predicted value; FVC; Humans; Lung - physiology; lung diseases; Lung Diseases, Obstructive - prevention & control; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; NHANES III; obstructive; oxidants; Oxidative Stress; Pneumology; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; respiratory function tests; Respiratory system : syndromes and miscellaneous diseases; Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey; Vital Capacity; Vitamin E - pharmacology; vitamins; United States; North America; America; Human; Prevention; Lung function; Diet; Respiratory disease; Risk factor; Vitamin; Antioxidant; Carotenoid; Epidemiology; Public health
• ISSN: 0002-9262; 1476-6256; 0002-9262
• DOI: 10.1093/aje/155.5.463

Accumulating evidence suggests that dietary antioxidant vitamins are positively associated with lung function. No evidence exists regarding whether dietary carotenoids other than β-carotene are related to pulmonary function. In 1995–1998 the authors studied the association of forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced vital capacity as the percentage of the predicted value (FEV1% and FVC%, respectively) after adjustment for height, age, gender, and race with the intakes of several carotenoids (α-carotene, β-carotene, β-cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin, and lycopene) in a random sample of 1,616 men and women who were residents of western New York State, aged 35–79 years, and free from respiratory disease. They observed significant associations of lutein/zeaxanthin and vitamins C and E with FEV1% and FVC% using multiple linear regression after adjustment for total energy intake, smoking, and other covariates. When they analyzed all of these antioxidant vitamins simultaneously, they observed the strongest association of vitamin E with FEV1% and of lutein/zeaxanthin with FVC%. The differences in forced expiratory volume in 1 second and forced vital capacity associated with a decrease of 1 standard deviation of dietary vitamin E or lutein/zeaxanthin were equivalent to the influence of approximately 1–2 years of aging. Their findings support the hypothesis that carotenoids, vitamin C, and vitamin E may play a role in respiratory health and that carotenoids other than β-carotene may be involved.