ANTIOXIDANTS IN ADIPOSE-TISSUE AND RISK OF MYOCARDIAL-INFARCTION - THE EURAMIC STUDY

Laboratory and epidemiological studies suggest that the antioxidants, vitamin E and beta-carotene, protect against coronary heart disease. I n a European multicentre case-control study alpha-tocopherol and beta- carotene concentrations were measured in adipose-tissue samples collec ted in 1991-92 from 683 people with acute myocardial infarction and 72 7 controls. Mean adipose-tissue beta-carotene concentration was 0.35 m ug/g in cases and 0.42 in controls, with age-adjusted and centre-adjus ted mean difference 0.07 mug/g (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.04-0.10 ). Mean alpha-tocopherol concentrations were 193 mug/g and 192 mug/g f or cases and controls, respectively. The age-adjusted and centre-adjus ted odds ratio for risk of myocardial infarction in the lowest quintil e of beta-carotene as compared with the highest was 2.62 (95% CI 1.79- 3.83). Additional control for body-mass index and smoking reduced the odds ratio to 1.78 (95% CI 1.17-2.71); other established risk factors did not substantially alter this ratio. The increased risk was mainly confined to current smokers: the multivariate odds ratio in the lowest beta-carotene quintile in smokers was 2.39 (95% CI 1.35-4.25), wherea s it was 1.07 for people who had never smoked. A low alpha-tocopherol concentration was not associated with risk of myocardial infarction. O ur results support the hypothesis that high beta-carotene concentratio ns within the normal range reduce the risk of a first myocardial infar ction. The findings for alpha-tocopherol are compatible with previous observations of reduced risk among vitamin E supplement users only. Th e consumption of beta-carotene-rich foods such as carrots and green-le af vegetables may reduce the risk of myocardial infarction.