Several studies have demonstrated that carotenoid-rich vegetables are useful against cardiovascular diseases (CVDs). However, it is still unclear when a healthy population should start eating these vegetables to prevent CVDs. In this study, we evaluated the role of carotenoids in CVD markers in healthy subjects using age-stratified analysis. We selected 1350 subjects with no history of apparent illness who were undergoing health examinations. We then evaluated the relationship between the serum concentrations of six major carotenoids as well as their total, and nine CVD markers (i.e., body mass index (BMI), pulse wave velocity (PWV), systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), Homeostatic Model Assessment of Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR), blood insulin, fasting blood glucose (FBG), triglycerides (TGs), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol) using multiple regression analysis. It was found that the total carotenoid level was significantly associated with seven markers other than BMI and FBG in males and with eight markers other than DBP in females. Many of these relationships were independent of lifestyle habits. Many significant relationships were found in young males (aged 20-39) and middle-aged females (aged 40-59). These findings can be used as lifestyle guidance for disease prevention although the causal relationships should be confirmed.
Keywords: carotenoid; healthy subjects; metabolic syndrome; resident-based cross-sectional study; vegetable intake.