Research paper
Serum Beta Carotene and Overall and Cause-Specific Mortality: A Prospective Cohort Study
Study answer
What this study found
Higher baseline serum beta carotene is associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality and death from major causes (CVD, heart disease, stroke, cancer, respiratory disease, diabetes mellitus, injuries/accidents, and other) over about 30 years, with a dose-response pattern. Highest vs lowest quintile hazard ratios: all-cause 0.64; CVD 0.64; heart disease 0.64; stroke 0.67; cancer 0.73; respiratory disease 0.71; diabetes mellitus 0.21; injuries/accidents 0.57; other causes 0.51 (all P trend < 0.0001). Associations persisted after adjusting for fruit/vegetable intake and were stronger in…
- Study & population
- 29,133 male smokers from southwest Finland, aged 50–69 years.
- Intervention
- Daily oral supplementation for 5–8 years: alpha-tocopherol 50 mg; beta-carotene 20 mg; both alpha-tocopherol 50 mg and beta-carotene 20 mg; or placebo.
- Key limitation
- Generalizability limited to Finnish male smokers; observational analysis of baseline serum beta carotene; single baseline measurement; potential residual confounding; possible measurement error in dietary data; results may not apply to women or non-smokers.
View source
Open PDFOriginal abstract
Rationale: Although the health effects of beta carotene have been studied extensively, a systematic examination of serum concentrations and long-term mortality, including cardiovascular disease mortality, has not been reported. Objective: Explore whe…