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Research: WRIGHT and co-workers,
Listed in Issue 109
Abstract
WRIGHT and co-workers, Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA, wrighmar@mail.nih.gov, have developed a comprehensive dietary antioxidant index and applied it to evaluate the lung cancer risk in male smokers.
Background
In many observational studies, a higher intake of antioxidants is inversely associated with lung cancer risk. Data from in vitro and animal experiments suggest that there are biochemical interactions among antioxidant nutrients; therefore, consideration of multiple antioxidants simultaneously may be important in terms of risk estimation. The purpose of this study was to develop an instrument for the evaluation of the effect of several antioxidant compounds.
Methodology
A dietary antioxidant index was constructed and evaluated for its ability to predict lung cancer risk within the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study cohort. 27,111 Finnish male smokers aged 50-69 years completed a dietary questionnaire that assessed usual frequency of consumption and portion sizes for the previous 12 months. They were followed for up to 14 years. Principal component analyses were individually applied to the carotenoid, flavonoid, and vitamin E nutrient groups. Summation of retained principal component scores, plus selenium and vitamin C, yielded the composite antioxidant index.
Results
A total of 1,787 incident cases of lung cancer were identified during the follow-up period. In multivariate proportional hazards models, the relative risks for lung cancer according to increasing quintiles of the antioxidant index were 1.00 (referent), 1.00 (95% confidence interval (CI): 0.87), 0.91 (95% CI: 0.79), 0.79 (95% CI: 0.68), and 0.84 (95% CI: 0.72; p for trend = 0.002.
Conclusion
These findings support the hypothesis that a combination of dietary antioxidants reduces lung cancer risk in male smokers.
References
Wright ME, Mayne ST, Stolzenberg-Solomon RZ, Li Z, Pietinen P, Taylor PR, Virtamo J, Albanes D. Development of a comprehensive dietary antioxidant index and application to lung cancer risk in a cohort of male smokers. American Journal of Epidemiology 160 (1): 68-76, Jul 1, 2004.
Comment
Comment: Please remember this research when media reports scaremonger about how antioxidants actually cause cancer!
