title: Low serum carotene level and increased risk of ischemic heart disease related to long-term arsenic exposure.
abstract: To elucidate the association between arsenic-related ischemic heart disease (ISHD) and serum antioxidant micronutrient level, residents aged 30 or older living in arseniasis-hyperendemic villages in Taiwan were recruited in a community-based health survey. A structured questionnaire was used to obtain a history of long-term exposure to arsenic through consuming artesian well water and fasting serum samples were also collected at the recruitment. A total of 74 patients affected with ISHD, who were diagnosed through both electrocardiography and Rose questionnaire interview, and 193 age-sex-matched healthy controls were selected for the examination of serum levels of micronutrients by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). There was a significant biological gradient between the risk of ISHD and the duration of consuming high-arsenic artesian well water. A significant reverse dose-response relationship with arsenic-related ISHD was observed for serum level of alpha- and beta-carotene, but not for serum levels of retinol, lycopene and alpha-tocopherol. Multivariate analysis showed a synergistic interaction on arsenic-related ISHD between duration of consuming artesian well water and low serum carotene level. An increased risk of arsenic-related ISHD was also associated with hypertension and elevated body mass index, but not with serum lipid profile, cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking. The findings seem to suggest that arsenic-related ISHD has a pathogenic mechanism which is at least partially different from that of ISHD unrelated to long-term exposure to arsenic.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, School of Medicine, Taipei Medical College, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Hsueh
authors.forename: W L
authors.initials: WL
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Y L
authors.initials: YL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Chiou
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Tseng
authors.forename: C J
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Chen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001151:Arsenic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood*; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D006801:Humans; D000077276:Lycopene; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000097:blood* / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D012907:Smoking; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D013997:Time Factors; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood; D014881:Water Supply / Q000032:analysis; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A; D014810:Vitamin E; D002338:Carotenoids; C041635:alpha-carotene; D001151:Arsenic; D000077276:Lycopene