Independent inverse relationship between serum lycopene concentration and arterial stiffness.
OBJECTIVE
Emerging evidence suggests a role of lycopene in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to investigate the association of serum lycopene concentration with brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), a marker of arterial stiffness and markers of oxidative stress and inflammation.


METHODS
healthy women (n=264, 31-75 yrs) were classified into tertiles according to serum lycopene concentration. Multivariate linear regression analyses were used to assess the relationship between serum lycopene and baPWV.


RESULTS
Subjects in middle tertile (T2) and upper tertile (T3) had lower baPWV (1263+/-23 and 1265+/-14 cm/s vs. 1338+/-21 cm/s; p=0.009) and lower oxidized LDL (oxLDL) (53+/-3 and 55+/-3 U/L vs. 66+/-3 U/L; p<0.001) than those in lower tertile (T1). Subjects in T3 showed higher LDL particle size (24.3+/-0.08 nm vs. 24.0+/-0.07 nm, p=0.005) and lower C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) (0.80+/-0.25mg/dL vs. 1.27+/-0.24 mg/dL, p=0.015), compared with those in T1. Logistic regression analysis showed that baPWV decreased with the increment of lycopene concentration; log baPWV decreased by 0.21 cm/s (95% CI -0.168;-0.045, p=0.001) per unit change in lycopene. After adjustment for age, BMI, smoking, drinking, menopause and blood pressure, the estimated effect was attenuated by 35%, but remained statistically significant [-0.13 cm/s (95% CI -0.112;-0.018, p=0.006)]. Further adjustment for beta-carotene, alpha-tocopherol, oxLDL, LDL particle size, and hs-CRP increased the strength of the association [beta=-0.221 (95% CI -0.215;-0.012, p=0.029)].


CONCLUSIONS
This study supports the presence of an independent inverse relationship between circulating lycopene and baPWV. Additionally, reduced oxidative modification of LDL may be one of mediators on the mechanisms how lycopene reduces arterial stiffness.
Kim
Oh Yoen
OY
National Research Laboratory for Clinical Nutrigenetics/Nutrigenomics, Department of Food and Nutrition, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Yoe
Hyun Yang
HY
Kim
Hyae Jin
HJ
Park
Ju Yeon
JY
Kim
Ji Young
JY
Lee
Sang-Hak
SH
Lee
Jin Hee
JH
Lee
Kang Pyo
KP
Jang
Yangsoo
Y
Lee
Jong Ho
JH
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001158:Arteries / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007249:Inflammation; D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL / Q000378:metabolism; D000077276:Lycopene; D008875:Middle Aged; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D010100:Oxygen / Q000737:chemistry; D012044:Regression Analysis; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000378:metabolism; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000378:metabolism
D008077:Lipoproteins, LDL; D019207:beta Carotene; D002338:Carotenoids; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D010100:Oxygen; D000077276:Lycopene