title: Correlates of serum lutein + zeaxanthin: findings from the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
abstract: The determinants of blood levels of carotenoids were previously investigated in small or select samples. The relations of serum lutein + zeaxanthin to possible diet, lifestyle, and physiological determinants in 7059 participants of the Third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (1988-1994), > or = 40 y old, were examined. In a fully adjusted, multiple linear regression model, lower serum lutein + zeaxanthin was significantly associated with smoking, heavy drinking, being white, female, or not being physically active, having lower dietary lutein + zeaxanthin, higher fat-free mass, a higher percentage of fat mass, a higher waist-hip ratio, lower serum cholesterol, a higher white blood cell count, and high levels of C-reactive protein (P < 0.05). The model explained 24% of the variation present in serum lutein + zeaxanthin for the current sample. The correlation between dietary and serum lutein + zeaxanthin was 0.17 and increased to 0.18 after adjusting for the effects of given covariates. Each 10% increase in dietary lutein + zeaxanthin was associated with a 1% increase in serum conditional on other terms in the model. Many factors that influence the level of serum lutein + zeaxanthin remain unknown.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, University of Wisconsin at Madison, Madison, WI, USA. mgruber@facstaff.wisc.edu
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gruber
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Chappell
authors.forename: Amy
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Millen
authors.forename: Tara
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: LaRowe
authors.forename: Suzen M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Moeller
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Iannaccone
authors.forename: Stephen B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Kritchevsky
authors.forename: Julie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mares
mesh_terms: D000428:Alcohol Drinking; D001823:Body Composition; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000032:analysis; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008019:Life Style; D016014:Linear Models; D014975:Lutein / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009043:Motor Activity; D009749:Nutrition Surveys; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D012907:Smoking; D014481:United States; D044465:White People; D024341:Xanthophylls; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D002791:Cholesterol, Dietary; D024341:Xanthophylls; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D002784:Cholesterol; D014975:Lutein