title: Association of serum carotenoid levels with N-terminal pro-brain-type natriuretic peptide: a cross-sectional study in Japan.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Several epidemiologic studies have reported an inverse association between serum levels of carotenoids and cardiovascular disease risk. However, no studies have reported an association between serum carotenoids and N-terminal pro-brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) in the general population.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this cross-sectional study, we investigated whether serum carotenoids were associated with serum NT-proBNP in 1056 Japanese subjects (390 men, 666 women) who attended a health examination. Serum levels of carotenoids were separately determined by high-performance liquid chromatography. Serum NT-proBNP level was measured by electrochemiluminescence immunoassay.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum NT-proBNP was elevated (≥55 pg/ml) in 31.8% of men and 48.2% of women. Multivariate logistic regression analyses adjusted for confounding factors showed a significant association between the highest quartile of serum α-carotene and elevated NT-proBNP in men (odds ratio [OR] = 0.40, 95% CI = 0.19-0.82, P for trend = 0.005) and women (OR = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.39-0.99, P for trend = 0.047). In women, moreover, elevated serum NT-proBNP was significantly associated with serum canthaxanthin (OR = 0.57, 95% CI = 0.36-0.90 for highest quartile, P for trend = 0.026) and β-cryptoxanthin (OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.32-0.85 for highest quartile, P for trend = 0.026), after adjusting for potential confounders.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Higher levels of serum carotenoids were associated with lower risk of elevated serum NT-proBNP levels after adjusting for possible confounders, which suggests that a diet rich in carotenoids could help prevent cardiac overload in the Japanese population.
authors.affiliation: Department of Public Health, Fujita Health University School of Health Sciences, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1192, Japan. ksuzuki@fujita-hu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Suzuki
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ishii
authors.forename: Fumihiko
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Kitagawa
authors.forename: Atsuhiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuno
authors.forename: Yasuhiro
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kusuhara
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ochiai
authors.forename: Naohiro
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Ichino
authors.forename: Keisuke
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Osakabe
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Sugimoto
authors.forename: Hiroya
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: Yoshinori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Nobuyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Hamajima
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inoue
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D002338:Carotenoids / Q000097:blood*; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain / Q000097:blood*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000097:blood*; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D010446:Peptide Fragments; C109794:pro-brain natriuretic peptide (1-76); D020097:Natriuretic Peptide, Brain; D002338:Carotenoids