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Objective: To study the association between plasma antioxidants (beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol) and lung function in Dutch adults aged 20-59 y.Design: Cross-sectional.Setting: Population-based study.Subjects: A random sample (n=367) was drawn from all participants (men and women) aged 20-59 y with reproducible lung function measurements in 1995.Intervention: Completion of general questionnaire and physical examination.Main Outcome Measurements: Forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC) and plasma levels of beta-carotene and alpha-tocopherol.Results: SUBJECTS with a high plasma beta-carotene level (90th percentile, that is 0.57 micromol/L) tended to have a higher FEV1 (73 ml, s.e.m. 60 ml; P=0.22) and a higher FVC (147 ml, s.e.m. 76 ml; P=0.05) than subjects with a low plasma beta-carotene level (10th percentile, that is 0.11 micromol/L) after adjustment for age, height, gender, smoking status, pack-years of smoking and alcohol consumption. There was no difference in lung function between subjects with high and low plasma alpha-tocopherol concentrations.Conclusions: The results suggest that subjects with a high plasma beta-carotene tended to have a higher FVC than subjects with a low plasma beta-carotene concentration which was borderline statistically significant. The difference for FEV1 between high and low levels of plasma beta-carotene tended to be in the same positive direction as that of FVC but did not reach the pre-set statistical significance level. There is no relation between plasma alpha-tocopherol and lung function.Sponsorship: Ministry of Public Health, Welfare and Sports of the Netherlands and the National Institute of Public Health and the Environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deals with a study on the association between plasma antioxidants and lung function. Health aspects of antioxidants such as vitamins C, E and beta-carotene; Methods of the study; Results.

Objective: To investigate the relation of baseline antioxidant, fruit, vegetable and fish intake with 20 y chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) mortality in middle-aged men from three European countries., Design: Prospective study (1970-1990)., Setting: Five population-based cohorts of middle-aged men from Finland, Italy and The Netherlands., Subjects: A total of 2917 men aged 50-69 y at baseline., Methods: Baseline information on diet was collected using the cross-check dietary history method. After 20 y of follow-up the underlying cause of death of those who died was established centrally. Survival analyses were performed using the Cox Proportional Hazards Model., Results: After adjustment for age, smoking and country, we observed an inverse trend (P-trend <0.05) of 20 y COPD mortality across tertiles of fruit and vitamin E intake. No trend was observed for vegetables, fish, vitamin C and beta-carotene. When modelled continuously, a 100 g increase in fruit intake was associated with a 24% lower COPD mortality risk (RR=0.76, 95% CI=0.60-0.92). For vitamin E intake (per 5 mg) the RR was 0.77 (95% CI=0.55-1.06), after adjustment for age, smoking and country. Additional adjustment for body mass index, total energy intake and alcohol consumption reduced the RR to 0.86 (95% CI=0.69-1.07, P=0.12) for fruit and 0.93 (95% CI=0.65-1.33) for vitamin E., Conclusions: Our results suggest a protective effect of fruit and possibly vitamin E intake against COPD. No effect was observed for intake of vitamin C, beta-carotene, vegetables and fish.

Body composition was measured in a group of 246 children and young adults, ranging in age from 7 to 25 years, by means of densitometry, body impedance (R) and anthropometry. Body fat percentage and fat-free mass (FFM) were calculated from body density using age-specific calculation formulas. From body impedance, FFM and body height, the specific impedance of the body (rho = R*FFM/height) was calculated in which body impedance is corrected for differences in the shape of the conductor. From age 10 onwards the specific impedance was positively related with age until age 13 in girls and age 16 in boys, after which it stabilized in boys at a significantly higher level than in girls. Based on the relationship of the specific impedance with age and sex, three age groups could be defined in which the relation between FFM and body impedance was analysed: age group I, boys and girls younger than 10 years; age group II, boys aged 10-15 years, girls aged 10-12 years; age group III, boys 16 years and older, girls 13 years and older. The regression equation in age group I had the same slope as the sex-specific regression equations in age group III. The regression equation in age group II had a steeper slope compared to the regression equations in age group I and III. Thus the relationship between FFM and body impedance was found to be slightly S-shaped, being identical for boys and girls until age 13, after which sex differences became apparent. For the different age categories the best prediction formula for the FFM from body impedance, sex, age and anthropometric variables was calculated. The prediction error of the age-specific regression equations was lower than the prediction error of the regression equation for the entire population.

Body composition was measured in a group of 100 pubertal children, aged 11-16 years, by means of densitometry and bioelectrical impedance. Bioelectrical impedance was measured twice within a period of 2 weeks, once at the Department immediately before the measurement of the body density, and once during a home visit. A population-specific prediction equation for fat-free mass from body impedance was developed from the impedance value measured at the Department. The developed prediction formula had a high correlation coefficient and a relatively low standard error of estimate, and was used to predict body composition from the measurements made during the home visit. Body impedance measured at the subjects' home was significantly higher (19 +/- 25 Ohm). Individual differences were up to 70 Ohm. These intra-individual differences gave rise to large over- and underestimates of the body composition in individuals, but at a group level body composition could be precisely predicted. When using (non-population-specific) prediction formulas from the literature, the predicted mean body composition deviated from the measured body composition. The estimation error in the predicted body composition from anthropometric variables alone was slightly larger, but due to the better reproducibility of anthropometric measurements the predicted individual body composition was quite as good or even better compared to the assessment of the body composition from body impedance. It is concluded that the bioelectrical impedance may be an adequate method to assess body composition in epidemiological studies only as far as population-specific prediction formulas are used.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)