Circulating concentrations of vitamin E isomers: Association with bone turnover and arterial stiffness in post-menopausal women

• Published in: Bone (New York, N.Y.) Vol. 81; pp. 407 - 412
• Main Authors: Hampson, G., Edwards, S., Sankaralingam, A., Harrington, D.J., Voong, K., Fogelman, I., Frost, M.L.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States Elsevier Inc 01.12.2015
• Subjects: Absorptiometry, Photon; Aged; alpha-Tocopherol - therapeutic use; Arterial stiffness; Bone and Bones - metabolism; Bone and Bones - pathology; Bone markers; Bone Remodeling - drug effects; Cholesterol - blood; Collagen Type I - blood; Collagen Type I - metabolism; Cross-Sectional Studies; Elasticity; Female; gamma-Tocopherol - blood; Humans; Linear Models; Middle Aged; Orthopedics; Parathyroid Hormone - metabolism; Peptides - metabolism; Postmenopause - blood; Pulse Wave Analysis; Tocopherol; Triglycerides - blood; Vascular Stiffness - drug effects; Vitamin E; Vitamin E - blood; Arterial stiffness; Tocopherol; Vitamin E; Bone markers
• ISSN: 8756-3282; 1873-2763; 1873-2763
• DOI: 10.1016/j.bone.2015.08.010

The effects of vitamin E on cardiovascular and bone health are conflicting with beneficial and detrimental findings reported. To investigate this further, we carried out a cross-sectional study to determine the relationship between circulating concentrations of the 2 vitamin E isomers, α- and γ-tocopherol (TP) with bone turnover and arterial stiffness. Two hundred and seventy eight post-menopausal women with mean age [SD] 60.9 [6.0] years were studied. Fasting serum α-TP and γ-TP, bone turnover markers; procollagen type 1 amino-terminal propeptide (P1NP) and C-terminal telopeptide of type 1 collagen (CTX), parathyroid hormone (PTH), total cholesterol (TC) and triglycerides (TG) were measured. Pulse wave velocity (PWV) and central augmentation index (AI) as markers of arterial stiffness were also determined. A positive correlation was observed between α-TP and γ-TP (r=0.14, p=0.022). A significant negative association between α-TP and P1NP only was seen in multiple linear regression analysis following adjustment for serum TC and TG (p=0.016). In a full multi-linear regression model, following correction for age, years since menopause, smoking habits, alcohol intake, use of calcium supplements, BMI, PTH, serum calcium, and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), the association between α-TP and P1NP remained significant (p=0.011). We did not observe any significant association between γ-TP or α-TP/γ-TP ratio with P1NP or CTX. P1NP was significantly lower in subjects with α-TP concentrations of >30μmol/L (α-TP >30μmol/L; P1NP: 57.5 [20.7], α-TP<30μmol/L; P1NP: 65.7 [24.9] μg/L, p=0.005). PWV was significantly associated with α-TP/γ-TP ratio (p=0.04) but not with serum α-TP or γ-TP in a full multi-linear regression model adjusting for serum lipids, age, and blood pressure. The data suggest that high serum concentrations of α-TP may have a negative effect on bone formation. The balance of α-TP and γ-TP may be important in maintaining arterial compliance. Longitudinal studies are needed to investigate the impact of the vitamin E isomers on bone and cardiovascular health. •Vitamin E isomers; α-TP and γ-TP may play a role in bone and vascular health.•Their association with bone turnover and arterial stiffness was studied.•Increased α-TP was associated with lower P1NP, marker of bone formation.•Arterial stiffness was positively associated with the ratio of α-TP and γ-TP.•The impact of vitamin E isomers on bone and arterial elasticity needs further study.