title: Plasma retinol: a novel marker for cardiovascular disease mortality in Australian adults.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Vitamin A affects inflammation and immune function and is thus a factor of interest in relation to cardiovascular disease (CVD). As vitamin A circulates in the plasma in the form of retinol, this study aims to describe the relationship between plasma retinol and the 5-year incidence of CVD mortality.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Community-dwelling adults (n = 441, 45% with type 2 diabetes) were recruited in Melbourne, assessed at baseline and followed for 5 years. At baseline, CVD risk factors were assessed by clinical evaluation, by personal lifestyle questionnaire and from biochemistry (plasma fasting glucose, lipids, total homocysteine, C-reactive protein, retinol and carotenoids plus the urinary albumin excretion rate over 24 h.). Dietary intake was assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire. CVD mortality over 5-years was determined by consulting state or national registries. The majority of participants had adequate plasma retinol concentrations (≥30 μg/dL). The final Cox regression model indicated that those in the highest tertile of plasma retinol (mean ± SD) 76 ± 14 μg/dL) had a significantly lower risk of 5-year CVD mortality (hazard ratio 0.27 [95% confidence interval 0.11, 0.68], P = 0.005), an effect that was not readily explained in terms of traditional CVD risk factors or dietary intake.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In well-nourished older Australian adults, plasma retinol was inversely associated with CVD mortality via mechanisms apparently unrelated to established CVD risk factors and dietary intake.
authors: Discipline of Public Health, School of Public Health and Clinical Practice, The University of Adelaide, SA 5000, Australia. laima.brazionis@adelaide.edu.au
authors: L
authors: L
authors: Brazionis
authors: K Z
authors: KZ
authors: Walker
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Itsiopoulos
authors: K
authors: K
authors: O'Dea
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality*; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000150:complications / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D006710:Homocysteine / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008019:Life Style; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012044:Regression Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D006710:Homocysteine; D014801:Vitamin A; D002338:Carotenoids; D002097:C-Reactive Protein