Vitamin A reserves of Canadians.
-A survey of vitamin A and carotene stores of Canadians at five major centres across Canada was completed. Vitamin A and carotene analyses were performed on approximately 100 human liver specimens obtained at necropsy from each location.Age influenced liver vitamin A stores. Children between 1 and 10 years of age had the highest vitamin A stores while a trend toward lower liver stores occurred between 20 and 40 years of age. Females had higher liver carotene stores than males but there was no such difference in vitamin A stores.SUBJECTS FROM ALL LOCATIONS WERE CLASSIFIED ACCORDING TO CAUSE OF DEATH: accidental, heart and coronary artery diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases and a miscellaneous disease group. The mean liver vitamin A and carotene stores of the accidental death group differed only from the cancer group. In contrast to the disease groups, no case with undetectable vitamin A was found in the accidental death group.The mean vitamin A and carotene stores of Vancouver subjects were generally higher than those for the other locations. Montreal showed more values in the 0-40 mug. per g. range than the other locations. Vancouver had the least number (15%), with Halifax, Ottawa and Winnipeg being intermediate (32%). These data suggest the need for improved nutrition, prophylactic treatment in disease states and the need for further research on the utilization and metabolism of vitamin A.
D000059:Accidents; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D001344:Autopsy; D002170:Canada; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000378:metabolism*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003327:Coronary Disease / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000378:metabolism; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D012140:Respiratory Tract Diseases / Q000378:metabolism; D012737:Sex Factors; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000378:metabolism*; D014802:Vitamin A Deficiency / Q000453:epidemiology
D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids