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Factors associated with serum/plasma concentrations of vitamins A, C, E and carotenoids in older people throughout Europe: the EUREYE study

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Abstract

Purpose

To report on plasma/serum levels of antioxidant vitamin and carotenoids in older adults resident in multiple countries in Europe and examine relationships with potential modifiers.

Methods

Population-based cross-sectional European Eye Study in 7 centres from northern to southern Europe. In total, 4,133 participants aged 65 years or over, collected by random sampling, were recruited. Questionnaires relating to diet, lifestyle and medical history were administered. Non-fasting blood samples were analysed in a single laboratory for vitamins A, C and E and a panel of carotenoids. Associations were analysed by bootstrapped multivariable regression analysis.

Results

Centre and season influenced the serum and plasma concentrations of all antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids. Gender, BMI, smoking, age, education, alcohol consumption and supplement use were also significantly associated with some, but not all, of the antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids examined. The proportion of variance explained ranged from 4.8 % for retinol to 25.2 % for zeaxanthin.

Conclusions

In older people, antioxidant vitamin and carotenoid status varies by centre and season, but is also associated with other behavioural and lifestyle variables. Studies aiming to demonstrate an association between antioxidant vitamins and carotenoid status and chronic disease risk should consider these potential confounders.

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Acknowledgments

The European Eye study was supported by the European Commission Vth Framework (QLK6-CT-1999–02094), Brussels, Belgium. Additional funding for cameras was provided by the Macular Disease Society UK, Andover, UK. Dr. Rahu was financed by the Estonian Ministry of Education and Science (target funding 01921112s02 and SF0940026s07), Tartu, Estonia. Additional funding in Alicante was received from the Spanish Ministry of Health (grant nos.: FIS 01/1692E and RCESP C 03/09), Madrid, Spain, CIBER de Epidemiologiá y Salud Pública, and the Generalitat Valenciana (grant nos.: CTGCA/2002/06 and G03/136), Valencia, Spain. The sponsors or funding organisations had no role in study design, data collection, data analysis, data interpretation, writing of the paper or decision to submit the paper for publication.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Centre for Public Health, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK

    J. V. Woodside, I. S. Young & S. E. C. M. Gilchrist

  2. CIBER de Epidemiologia y Salud Publica, Universidad Miguel Hernandez, Alicante, Spain

    J. Vioque

  3. Centre for Vision and Vascular Science, School of Medicine, Dentistry and Biomedical Sciences, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, UK

    U. Chakravarthy

  4. The Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience and Academic Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands

    P. T. V. M. de Jong

  5. Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, National Institute for Health Development, Tallinn, Estonia

    M. Rahu

  6. Eye Department Stavanger University Hospital, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway

    J. Seland

  7. Clinique Ophthalmologique, Universitaire De Creteil, Paris, France

    G. Soubrane

  8. Clinica Oculistica, Universita degli studi di Verona, Ospedale Civile Maggiore, Verona, Italy

    L. Tomazzoli

  9. Department of Ophthalmology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki School of Medicine, Thessaloniki, Greece

    F. Topouzis

  10. Departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics and Department of Ophthalmology, Erasmus Medical Center, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    J. R. Vingerling

  11. Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK

    A. E. Fletcher

Authors
  1. J. V. Woodside
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  2. I. S. Young
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  3. S. E. C. M. Gilchrist
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  4. J. Vioque
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  5. U. Chakravarthy
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  6. P. T. V. M. de Jong
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  7. M. Rahu
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  8. J. Seland
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  9. G. Soubrane
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  10. L. Tomazzoli
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  11. F. Topouzis
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  12. J. R. Vingerling
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  13. A. E. Fletcher
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. V. Woodside.

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Woodside, J.V., Young, I.S., Gilchrist, S.E.C.M. et al. Factors associated with serum/plasma concentrations of vitamins A, C, E and carotenoids in older people throughout Europe: the EUREYE study. Eur J Nutr 52, 1493–1501 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-012-0456-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-012-0456-8

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