Intake of antioxidant nutrients and risk of non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma in the Women's Health Initiative.
Incidence rates of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) increased substantially in the United States and worldwide during the latter part of the 20(th) century, but little is known about the etiology of this condition. Antioxidant nutrients may reduce the risk of NHL by quenching free radicals, which may contribute to carcinogenesis by damaging DNA and lipid membranes. We examined the association of intake of vitamin A and antioxidant nutrients with risk of NHL and its major subtypes in 1,104 cases of NHL identified among 154,363 postmenopausal women followed for an average of 11 yr in the Women's Health Initiative. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Of all nutrients examined, only total vitamin A intake (from diet and supplements combined) was inversely associated with risk of NHL overall (multivariate adjusted HR for highest vs. lowest quartile 0.83, 95% CI 0.69-0.99), whereas total vitamin C intake was inversely associated with risk of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (HR for highest vs. lowest quartile 0.69, 95% CI 0.49-0.98). Overall, this study provides some evidence of inverse associations of intake of total vitamin A and total vitamin C with the risk of NHL and diffuse lymphoma, respectively.
Department of Epidemiology and Population Health, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA. geoffrey.kabat@einstein.yu.edu
Geoffrey C
GC
Kabat
Mimi Y
MY
Kim
Jean
J
Wactawski-Wende
James M
JM
Shikany
Mara Z
MZ
Vitolins
Thomas E
TE
Rohan
D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000032:analysis; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage; D004032:Diet / Q000208:ethnology; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000008:administration & dosage; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D015914:Estrogen Replacement Therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008228:Lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin / Q000453:epidemiology*; D008875:Middle Aged; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D014801:Vitamin A / Q000008:administration & dosage; D014815:Vitamins / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016387:Women's Health
D000975:Antioxidants; D004041:Dietary Fats; D014815:Vitamins; D014801:Vitamin A; D001205:Ascorbic Acid