Higher dietary and serum carotenoid levels are associated with lower carotid intima-media thickness in middle-aged and elderly people

Several studies have suggested that higher carotenoid levels may be beneficial for atherosclerosis patients, but few studies have examined this relationship in the Chinese population. This cross-sectional study examined the association between the levels of carotenoids in diet and serum and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) in Chinese adults aged 50-75 years in Guangzhou, China. Dietary intake was assessed using a FFQ. HPLC was used to assay the serum concentrations of alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, lutein + zeaxanthin, beta-cryptoxanthin and lycopene. The IMT at the common carotid artery (CCA) and bifurcation of the carotid artery was measured by B-mode ultrasound. A total of 3707 and 2947 participants were included in the analyses of dietary and serum carotenoids. After adjustment for demographic, socio-economic and lifestyle factors, all the serum carotenoids levels except lycopene were found to be inversely associated with the IMT at the CCA and bifurcation (P-trend < 0.001 to 0.013) in both men and women. The absolute mean differences in the IMT between the subjects in the extreme quartiles of serum carotenoid levels were 0.034 mm (alpha-carotene), 0.037 mm (beta-carotene), 0.032 mm (lutein + zeaxanthin), 0.030 mm (beta-cryptoxanthin), 0.015 mm (lycopene) and 0.035 mm (total carotenoids) at the CCA; the corresponding values were 0.025, 0.053 0.043, 0.050, 0.011 and 0.042 mm at the bifurcation. The favourable associations were also observed between dietary carotenoids (except lycopene) and the CCA IMT. In conclusion, elevated carotenoid levels in diet and serum are associated with lower carotid IMT values (particular at the CCA) in Chinese adults.