title: Low levels of carotenoids and retinol in involutional osteoporosis.
abstract: Previous epidemiological studies conducted in retinol-supplemented subjects showed an association between high serum levels or dietary intake of retinol and risk of hip fracture. On the other side, observational studies revealed that non-supplemented subjects with higher dietary intake of retinol lose less bone with age than subjects with lower intake. This discrepancy, currently unexplained, suggests that nutrition plays a major role in conditioning the effects of retinol on bone. Since retinol is derived from both retinoids--contained in animal food--and carotenoids--contained in vegetables and fruits--we evaluated a possible role of carotenoids in involutional osteoporosis. Therefore, plasma levels of beta-carotene and other carotenoids, in addition to those of retinol, were measured in free-living, non-supplemented, elderly women with or without severe osteoporosis. Plasma levels of retinol and of all carotenoids tested, with the exception of lutein, were consistently lower in osteoporotic than in control women. A weak association was found only between retinol and femoral neck bone mineral density in osteoporotic women. Our study suggests a bone sparing effect of retinol, to which the provitamin A activity of some carotenoids might have contributed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Gerontology and Geriatrics, University of Perugia, Policlinico Monteluce, Via Brunamonti, 06124 Perugia, Italy. dariomaggio1@tin.it
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maggio
authors.forename: M Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Polidori
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barabani
authors.forename: Angela
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tufi
authors.forename: Carmelinda
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ruggiero
authors.forename: Roberta
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Cecchetti
authors.forename: M Cristina
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Aisa
authors.forename: Wilhelm
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Stahl
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cherubini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D014975:Lutein / Q000097:blood; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000453:epidemiology; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*; D024341:Xanthophylls / Q000097:blood; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D024341:Xanthophylls; D065146:Zeaxanthins; D019207:beta Carotene; D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids; D014975:Lutein