Research: KOHLMEIER and colleagues,

Listed in Issue 30

Abstract

KOHLMEIER and colleagues, Institute for Social Medicine and Epidemiology, Berlin Germany conducted a multicentre case-control study to study the relationship between antioxidant status and acute heart attack. @m: Cases and matched controls were recruited from 10 European countries to maximise variance within the study. Fat tissue biopsies were taken shortly following heart attack and analysed for carotenoid and tocopherol concentrations. @r:RESULTS: When examined individually, each carotenoids appeared to be protective. Simultaneous analyses of the carotenoids, controlling for age, body mass index, socioeconomic status, smoking, hypertension and maternal and paternal history, showed that lycopene remained independently protective, with an odds ratio (OR) of 0.52 between the 10th and 90th percentiles. Associations for alpha- and beta-carotene were largely eliminated. @c:CONCLUSIONS: Lycopene may contribute to the protective effect of vegetable consumption on myocardial infarction risk.

Background

Methodology

Results

Conclusion

References

Kohlmeier L et al. Lycopene and myocardial infarction risk in the EURAMIC study. Am J Epidemiol 146 (8): 618-26. Oct 15 1997.

Comment

Lycopene, the major carotenoid in tomatoes, has been shown to be an extremely potent antioxidant and has been demonstrated to be protective especially against prostate cancer (see Issues 14, 21 and 25 of Positive Health). This analysis which shows lycopene also to be protective against heart attack a risk reduction of almost 50% in having a heart attack is an extremely significant finding.

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