title: Lifestyle Behaviours and Plasma Vitamin C and β-Carotene Levels from the ELAN Population (Liège, Belgium).
abstract: Several factors, including fruit and vegetables intakes, have been shown to significantly influence the plasma concentrations of the two antioxidants vitamin C and β-carotene. Deficiency levels of 6 mg/L (34.2 μM) for vitamin C and of 0.22 mg/L (0.4 μM) for β-carotene have been suggested below which cardiovascular risk might be increased. The present study performed on 897 presumably healthy subjects aged 40-60 years aimed to examine how modifiable lifestyle factors may be related to vitamin C and/or β-carotene deficiency. Gender, smoking, lack of regular physical activity and of daily fruit consumption (≥2/day), and social status (in particular, unemployment) were found to be significant risk factors for vitamin C deficiency. For β-carotene deficiency, the same factors were identified except social status; moreover, overweight and OC use in women were also found to have a deleterious effect. For non exposed subjects, the probability of developing vitamin C deficiency was 4% in men and 2.4% in women. This probability increased to 66.3% for men and to 44.3% for women (and even to 50.4% under OC use), when all risk factors were present. For β-carotene deficiency, the corresponding probabilities were equal to 29.7% in men and 13.7% in women (no risk factor present), and to 86.1% for men and 69.9% (91.6% for OC use) for women (all factors present), respectively.
authors: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Liège-CHU, B35 Sart Tilman, 4000 Liège, Belgium.
authors: Joël
authors: J
authors: Pincemail
authors: Sophie
authors: S
authors: Vanbelle
authors: Fabien
authors: F
authors: Degrune
authors: Jean-Paul
authors: JP
authors: Cheramy-Bien
authors: Corinne
authors: C
authors: Charlier
authors: Jean-Paul
authors: JP
authors: Chapelle
authors: Didier
authors: D
authors: Giet
authors: George
authors: G
authors: Collette
authors: Adelin
authors: A
authors: Albert
authors: Jean-Olivier
authors: JO
authors: Defraigne