The relation of serum levels of antioxidant vitamins C and E, retinol and carotenoids with pulmonary function in the general population

Reduced pulmonary function is an important predictor of mortality in the ge neral population, and antioxidant vitamins are thought to positively influe nce pulmonary function. Vitamin C, vitamin E, retinol, and carotenoids are powerful antioxidants but information about the joint relation of serum lev els of these antioxidants to pulmonary function is limited. We analyzed the association of FEV1 and FVC with serum vitamins C and E, retinol, and caro tenoids (beta -cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin, beta -carotene, and lycope ne) in a cross-sectional study. The analysis was carried out in a sample of 1,616 randomly selected residents of Western New York, USA, age 35 to 79 y r and free of respiratory disease. Lung function was adjusted for height, a ge, sex, and race and expressed as percentage of predicted normal FEV1 (FEV 1%) and FVC (FVC%). Participants in the lowest quartile of each of the seru m antioxidants had consistently lower FEV1% and FVC% than those in higher q uartiles. Multiple linear regression analysis revealed significant associat ions of vitamin C, vitamin E, beta -cryptoxanthin, lutein/zeaxanthin, beta -carotene, and retinol with FEV1% when these variables were investigated in dividually after adjustment for other covariates (smoking status, pack-year s of smoking, weight, eosinophil count, and education). When all of these a ntioxidant vitamins were analyzed simultaneously in a multivariate regressi on model, the strongest association was seen with vitamin E and beta-crypto xanthin. Only retinol showed an independent effect on FEV1% after controlli ng for vitamin E and beta -cryptoxanthin. As for FEV1%, vitamin E and beta -cryptoxanthin were most strongly related to FVC% when all variables were c onsidered in the multivariate regression model. The differences in FEV1 ass ociated with a reduction of one standard deviation of serum vitamin E or be ta -cryptoxanthin were equivalent to the negative influence of approximatel y 1 to 2 yr of aging. Our findings support the hypothesis that antioxidant vitamins may play a role in respiratory health and that vitamin E and beta -cryptoxanthin appear to be stronger correlates of lung function than other antioxidant vitamins.