Vitamin E and lipid peroxide plasma levels predict the risk of cardiovascular events in a group of healthy very old people.
OBJECTIVE
To assess whether systemic oxidative stress can predict the risk of first myocardial infarction, ischemic stroke, and congestive heart failure.


METHODS
A longitudinal study started in 1992 and completed in 1997.


METHODS
Community-based, outpatient.


METHODS
102 apparently healthy, community-dwelling subjects age 80 and older from the Vibrata valley, Teramo, Italy.


METHODS
Plasma vitamin E, beta-carotene, vitamin C, fluorescent products of lipid peroxidation (FPLPs), and serum lipids were determined at enrollment.


RESULTS
Thirty-two cardiovascular events were recorded in 47.4 months of follow-up. The subjects with vitamin E levels in the highest quartile had a risk of cardiovascular events one-sixth those with vitamin E levels in the lowest quartile (relative risk (RR) = 0.16; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.04-0.55). The subjects with FPLPs in the highest quartile had a risk seven times greater than those with FPLPs in the lowest quartile (RR = 7.61; 95% CI = 2.23-25.96). No association was observed for vitamin C, beta-carotene, or total cholesterol. Multivariate adjustment for known risk factors did not significantly change the results.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that in apparently healthy, community-dwelling very old subjects, base-line plasma concentration of vitamin E and FPLPs predicts the risk of future cardiovascular events. We confirm previous data showing that total cholesterol is not a predictor of cardiovascular disease in people age 80 and older.
Mezzetti
A
A
Centro per lo Studio dell'Ipertensione Arteriosa, delle Dislipidemie e dell'Arteriosclerosi, Department of Medicine and Aging Science, University G. D'Annunzio, Chieti, Italy.
Zuliani
G
G
Romano
F
F
Costantini
F
F
Pierdomenico
S D
SD
Cuccurullo
F
F
Fellin
R
R
D017677:Age Distribution; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000097:blood; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008054:Lipid Peroxides / Q000097:blood*; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D009203:Myocardial Infarction / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012307:Risk Factors; D020521:Stroke / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood*
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D008078:Cholesterol, LDL; D008054:Lipid Peroxides; D014280:Triglycerides; D014810:Vitamin E; D002784:Cholesterol; D001205:Ascorbic Acid