PLASMA ANTIOXIDANT CONCENTRATIONS IN A POPULATION OF ELDERLY WOMEN - FINDINGS FROM THE NUN STUDY

Low plasma alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene concentrations have been associated with an increased risk of numerous degenerative diseases, including cancer. Several characteristics that accompany aging, includ ing changes in dietary habits and physiologic capacity, may place elde rly populations at a high risk of low plasma antioxidant concentration s. Thus, the present study was undertaken to characterize plasma conce ntrations of alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene and several other caroten oids in elderly subjects, to describe the relationship between age and plasma antioxidant concentrations in this population and to compare t he concentrations of plasma antioxidants in middle-aged and elderly in dividuals. The study recruited 94 participants from the Nun Study, a l ongitudinal study of aging and Alzheimer disease. Women id this popula tion were unique for their advanced age, 77 - 99 years old, and their comparability across age groups due to the absence of several potentia l confounders of plasma antioxidant concentrations. The population mea n and standard deviation of several plasma carotenoids and alpha-tocop herol concentrations (mu g/dl) were as follows: lycopene, 15.0 +/- 10. 0; beta-carotene, 30.0 +/- 19.7; alpha-carotene, 15.0 +/- 9.6; zeaxant hin plus lutein, 22.0 +/- 7.4; beta-cryptoxanthin, 14.0 +/- 8.6 and al pha-tocopherol, 980 +/- 310. Concentrations of all analytes, except ly copene, were similar to or higher than those reported for several midd le-aged American populations. Lycopene concentrations were significant ly lower in the population of sisters as compared with the middle-aged populations and tended to decrease across age groups within the popul ation of sisters. Age appeared to be a relatively minor determinant of plasma alpha-tocopherol and the concentrations of carotenoids, other than lycopene, in this population. Importantly, the plasma concentrati ons of most carotenoids and alpha-tocopherol in this population of ind ependent elderly women were apparently adequate on the basis of popula tion comparisons. Further studies of this population may define determ inants essential for the maintenance of antioxidant status in elderly populations. Copyright (C) 1996 Elsevier Science Inc.