Relationship of vitamin A and vitamin E intake to fasting plasma retinol, retinol-binding protein, retinyl esters, carotene, alpha-tocopherol, and cholesterol among elderly people and young adults: increased plasma retinyl esters among vitamin A-supplement users.
We studied the relationships of supplemental and total vitamin A and supplemental vitamin E intake with fasting plasma biochemical indicators of vitamin A and vitamin E nutritional status among 562 healthy elderly people (aged 60-98 y) and 194 healthy young adult (aged 19-59 y) volunteers. All subjects were nonsmokers. For the young adults, plasma retinol was significantly greater in males than in females (p less than 0.01); retinol was not related to supplemental vitamin A intake for either group. Fasting plasma retinyl esters demonstrated a significant increase with vitamin A supplement use. For supplemental vitamin A intakes of 5001-10,000 IU/d, a 2.5-fold increase over nonusers in fasting plasma retinyl esters was observed for elderly people (p less than 0.05) and a 1.5-fold increase for young adults (p greater than 0.20). For elderly people, greater fasting plasma retinyl esters were associated with long-term vitamin A supplement use (greater than 5 y) and biochemical evidence of liver damage. Elderly people who take vitamin A supplements may be at increased risk for vitamin A overload.
Krasinski
S D
SD
USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA 02111.
Russell
R M
RM
Otradovec
C L
CL
Sadowski
J A
JA
Hartz
S C
SC
Jacob
R A
RA
McGandy
R B
RB
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000097:blood*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood*; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D004224:Diterpenes; D005215:Fasting; D005260:Female; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006801:Humans; D006986:Hypervitaminosis A / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins / Q000097:blood*; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma; D000084562:Retinyl Esters; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000097:blood*
D004224:Diterpenes; D012177:Retinol-Binding Proteins; D054839:Retinol-Binding Proteins, Plasma; D000084562:Retinyl Esters; D014801:Vitamin A; D014810:Vitamin E; D002338:Carotenoids; C009166:retinol acetate; D002784:Cholesterol