Abstract
Background and aims
Vitamin A affects inflammation and immune function and is thus a factor of interest
in relation to cardiovascular disease (CVD). As vitamin A circulates in the plasma
in the form of retinol, this study aims to describe the relationship between plasma
retinol and the 5-year incidence of CVD mortality.
Methods and results
Community-dwelling adults (n = 441, 45% with type 2 diabetes) were recruited in Melbourne, assessed at baseline
and followed for 5 years. At baseline, CVD risk factors were assessed by clinical
evaluation, by personal lifestyle questionnaire and from biochemistry (plasma fasting
glucose, lipids, total homocysteine, C-reactive protein, retinol and carotenoids plus
the urinary albumin excretion rate over 24 h.). Dietary intake was assessed by a validated
food frequency questionnaire. CVD mortality over 5-years was determined by consulting
state or national registries. The majority of participants had adequate plasma retinol
concentrations (≥30 μg/dL). The final Cox regression model indicated that those in
the highest tertile of plasma retinol (mean ± SD) 76 ± 14 μg/dL) had a significantly
lower risk of 5-year CVD mortality (hazard ratio 0.27 [95% confidence interval 0.11,
0.68], P = 0.005), an effect that was not readily explained in terms of traditional CVD risk
factors or dietary intake.
Conclusion
In well-nourished older Australian adults, plasma retinol was inversely associated
with CVD mortality via mechanisms apparently unrelated to established CVD risk factors
and dietary intake.
Keywords
Abbreviations:
AER (albumin excretion rate), BMI (body mass index), CI (confidence interval), CVD (cardiovascular disease), CRP (C-reactive protein), FFQ (food frequency questionnaire), HR (hazard ratio), IQR (interquartile range), MCCS (Melbourne Collaborative Cohort Study), PRIME (Prospective Epidemiological Study of Myocardial Infarction), RE (retinol equivalents)To read this article in full you will need to make a payment
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Article info
Publication history
Published online: November 28, 2011
Accepted:
August 22,
2011
Received in revised form:
July 27,
2011
Received:
December 4,
2010
Identification
Copyright
© 2011 Elsevier B.V. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
