Antioxidant Vitamin Status (A, E, C, and Beta-Carotene) in European Adolescents - The HELENA Study

2011 ◽  
Vol 81 (4) ◽  
pp. 245-255 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christina Breidenassel ◽  
Jara Valtueña ◽  
Marcela González-Gross ◽  
Jasmin Benser ◽  
Andre Spinneker ◽  
...  

Background: An adequate nutritional status of antioxidant vitamins (vitamins A, C, E) and b-carotene is essential especially during childhood and adolescence, because of their important roles in cell growth and development. Currently, there are no physiological reference values for blood concentration of these vitamins and b-carotene in apparently healthy European adolescents. The aim of the current study was to obtain reliable and comparable data of antioxidant vitamins and b-carotene in a cross-sectional study, within HELENA (Healthy Lifestyle in Europe by Nutrition in Adolescence), which was conducted in a representative sample of adolescents from ten European cities. Material and Methods: From a subsample of 1,054 adolescents (males= 501) of the HELENA Cross Sectional Study with an age range of 12.5 to 17.49 years, fasting blood samples were taken and analyzed for vitamins A, E, C, and b-carotene status. As specific reference values for adolescents are missing, percentile distribution by age and sex is given. Results: Mean concentrations were the following: Retinol: 356.4 ± 107.9 cm/mL; alpha-tocopherol: 9.9 ± 2.1 microg/mL; vitamin C: 10.3 ± 3.3 mg/L; and b-carotene: 245.6 ± 169.6 cm/mL. Females showed higher alpha-tocopherol and vitamin C values compared with males and 17-year-old boys had higher retinol levels than the same-aged girls (p = 0.018). Retinol serum concentrations increased significantly according to age in both gender, but girls had also significantly increasing b-carotene levels by age. Conclusions: For the first time, concentrations of antioxidant vitamins and pro-vitamin beta-carotene have been obtained in a representative sample of apparently healthy European adolescents. These data can contribute to the establishment of reference ranges in adolescents.

PLoS ONE ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (10) ◽  
pp. e0205792 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matteo Vandoni ◽  
Luca Correale ◽  
Mariangela Valentina Puci ◽  
Christel Galvani ◽  
Roberto Codella ◽  
...  

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Juan Reyes-Barrera ◽  
Victor H. Sainz-Escárrega ◽  
Aida X. Medina-Urritia ◽  
Esteban Jorge-Galarza ◽  
Horacio Osorio-Alonso ◽  
...  

Abstract BackgroundCompared to body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), and adiposity measurements, adipose tissue morpho-functionality evaluations are more consistent predictors of cardiometabolic abnormalities. However, these evaluations require determination of adipokines and other non-routine biochemical parameters, which is not feasible in clinical practice. The present study establishes dysfunctional adiposity index (DAI) as a simple, accessible, and reliable marker of early adipocytes morpho-functional abnormalities and cardiometabolic diseases.MethodsTo establish the DAI constant parameters, 340 subjects (134 males and 206 females) without cardiovascular risk factors were selected from a cross-sectional study. Then, DAI was calculated in 36 healthy subjects who underwent subcutaneous adipose tissue biopsy, for whom adipocytes number and size, body composition, circulating adipokines, glucose, insulin, and lipids were also determined. The correlation of DAI with adipocyte morphology (size/number of adipocytes) and functionality (adiponectin/leptin ratio) was analyzed. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to define the optimal DAI cut-off point to identify metabolic abnormalities. Finally, the independent association of DAI with cardiometabolic abnormalities was determined in 1418 subjects from the cross-sectional study through multivariate analyses.ResultsThe constant parameters to calculate the DAI were [WC/[22.79+[2.68*BMI]]]*[triglycerides (TG, mmol/L)/1.37]*[1.19/high density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C, mmol/L)] for males, and [WC/[24.02+[2.37*BMI]]]*[TG(mmol/L)/1.32]*[1.43/HDL-C(mmol/L)] for females. In subjects underwent biopsy, DAI correlated with adipocytes mean area (r=0.358; p=0.032), adipocyte number (r=-0.381; p=0.024), adiponectin/leptin ratio (r=-0.483; p=0.003), and systemic inflammation markers. Compared to BMI, WC, and visceral fat, DAI was the only determination associated with insulin resistance (area under the curve: 0.743; p = 0.017). In the cross-sectional study, DAI ≥1.065 was independently associated with diabetes (OR: 1.96; 95%CI: 1.36-2.84), non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (OR: 2.57; 95%CI: 1.98-3.33), subclinical atherosclerosis (OR: 1.74; 95%CI: 1.02-2.94), and hypertension (OR: 1.44; 95%CI: 1.10-1.88).ConclusionsThe present study establishes the constant parameters to calculate the DAI and highlights that a DAI ≥ 1.065 is associated with early cardiometabolic abnormalities independently of adiposity and other risk factors. Since DAI is calculated using accessible parameters routinely used in the clinic, this indicator can be easily incorporated in clinical practice for the early identification of adipose tissue abnormalities in apparently healthy subjects.


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