Lipid peroxidation level and antioxidant micronutrient status in a pre-aging population; correlation with chronic disease prevalence in a French epidemiological study (Nantes, France).

OBJECTIVE: The general objective of the Etude du Viellissement Arterial (EVA) program is to follow vascular aging and the decline in cognitive functions at the cerebrovascular level longitudinally over a 4-year period. One of the specific objectives of this EVA study is to examine epidemiologically the relationship between the markers of oxidative stress (lipid peroxidation), the antioxidant micronutrient status (particularly of selenium, vitamin E, and the carotenoids) and the prevalence of chronic disorders occurring during the pre-aging period.
METHODS: 1389 subjects aged from 59 to 71 years were studied.
RESULTS: The concentration of plasma lipid peroxides was higher than in young adults (2.91 +/- 0.38, men; 2.97 +/- 0.40, women (mumol/l). On the other hand, plasma Se (1.09 +/- 0.21, men; 1.10 +/- 0.19, women (mumol/l)), erythrocyte vitamin E (5.32 +/- 1.29, men; 5.52 +/- 1.28, women (mumol/l)), and total plasma carotenoids (2.19 +/- 0.98, men; 3.07 +/- 1.33, women (mumol/l)) were comparable to values in young adults. In our cohort, 40% of subjects had unremarkable medical histories. The disorders most often encountered were lipemia (29.8% of men, 36.1% of women), and hypertension (28.9% of men, 30.4% of women).
CONCLUSION: Se and vitamin E levels were raised in cases of lipemia, especially in those treated with fibrates. The mechanism of the increase is unknown. In hypertensives and diabetics, there was a decrease in total carotenoids associated with increased peroxidative risk.