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Serum alpha-carotene inversely associated with death from cancer, all-causes
Li C. Arch Intern Med. 2011;171:507-515.
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Increasing levels of serum alpha-carotene had an inverse association with rates of death due to cancer and all-cause mortality among participants of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
These findings help to elucidate the role of carotenoids on cancer because previous research had primarily involved beta-carotene, according to study investigators.
The current analysis included 15,318 US adults aged at least 20 years from the NHANES III, which was conducted from 1988 to 1994. Patients were considered ineligible if they had a follow-up of 1 month or less, missing data on covariates or insufficient identifying information.
The study's findings revealed a mean alpha-carotene concentration of 4.79 mcg/dL for the entire cohort (men, 4.22 mcg/dL; women, 5.31 mcg/dL). An association was found between increasing serum alpha-carotene levels and lower cancer-related mortality (P=.02), which included cancer of the aerodigestive tract (P<.001), lung cancer (P=.98) and all other cancers (P=.17).
Overall, increasing levels of serum alpha-carotene compared with those in the reference group (0-1 mcg/dL) resulted in a lower risk for death from all-causes: 2 to 3 mcg/dL (RR=0.77; 95% CI, 0.68-0.87), 4 to 5 mcg/dL (RR=0.73; 95% CI, 0.65-0.83), 6 to 8 mcg/dL (RR=0.66; 95% CI, 0.55-0.79) and at least 9 mcg/dL (RR=0.61; 0.51-0.73).
According to researchers, this inverse association was independent of demographic characteristics, lifestyle habits and traditional health risk factors.
"Our results, if replicated in other studies and populations, suggest a need for clinical research into the health benefits of serum alpha-carotene," the researchers said.
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