Plasma Antioxidants and Asymptomatic Carotid Atherosclerotic Disease

Abstract

Background: Atherosclerosis remains clinically mute for a long time and frequently manifests itself with an acute cardiovascular event. The possibility of detecting this disease in a subclinical phase and reducing or reversing its progression is an issue of relevance. Published studies on the association between antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids and carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) have been inconclusive. Methods: We enrolled 220 consecutive, asymptomatic participants. After carotid ultrasound investigation, a medical history was taken, a physical examination was performed and venous blood samples were collected. Venous blood samples were analyzed for concentrations of antioxidant vitamins and carotenoids. Results: Low concentrations of vitamin A (p < 0.01), vitamin E (p < 0.001), lycopene (p < 0.01) and β-carotene (p < 0.001) were significantly associated with carotid atherosclerosis (CIMT ≧0.8 mm). In addition, marginally higher body mass index, plasma haemoglobin and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol were also associated with carotid atherosclerosis, while other laboratory parameters considered in this study (total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides and C-reactive protein) were not significantly associated with carotid atherosclerosis. Conclusions: Low plasma concentrations of antioxidant vitamins (A, E, β-carotene) and lycopene were associated with early carotid atherosclerotic lesions as measured by CIMT. Regular intake of foods rich in lycopene and antioxidant vitamins may slow the progression of atherosclerosis.

Lycopene and Cardiovascular Diseases: An Update

“…Recently, Riccioni et al [143], in a study including 220 asymptomatic participants (109 males, 111 females), evidenced a significant association between low concentrations of lycopene (P < 0.01), vitamin A (P < 0.01), vitamin E (P < 0.001), and -carotene (P < 0.001) and carotid atherosclerosis assessed by CIMT.…”

Antioxidant-based therapies for angiotensin II-associated cardiovascular diseases

“…Adequate consumption of carotenoids helps prevent cardiovascular diseases, such as atherosclerosis, ventricular remodeling following myocardial infarction, diabetes, and stroke (85,113,116). Lycopene supplementation has been shown to be beneficial for I/R injury (6,48), atherosclerosis (115), long-term diabetic complications (93), and controlling cholesterol and blood pressure (117). ␤-carotene was reported to protect renal tissues against I/R-induced oxidative damage (50,51).…”

Carotid atherosclerosis in elderly hypertensive patients: potential role of endothelin and plasma antioxidant capacity

“…37 Independent inverse associations between erythrocyte vitamin E and CCA-IMT in men and women, as well as a trend between plasma carotenoid concentration and carotid atherosclerosis were observed in the EVA (Etude sur le Vieillisement Arteriel) Study, but no association between the prevalence of plaques and either vitamin E or carotenoids was found. 38 Moreover, in the recent study by Riccioni et al, 39 CCA-IMT of 40.8 mm was associated significantly with low plasma concentration of vitamin A, E, lycopen and b-carotene. In turn, extracellular ZnCu-superoxide dismutase may protect children and adolescents with type I diabetes against endothelial dysfunction, although the differences in CCA-IMT were not found.…”