Dietary antioxidants and peripheral arterial disease: The Rotterdam study

Abstract

This study examined cross-sectionally the association of dietary β-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E with peripheral arterial disease in Rotterdam, the Netherlands (1990-1993). The 4,367 subjects from the Rotterdam Study were aged 55-94 years and had no previous cardiovascular disease at baseline. Diet was assessed with a food frequency questionnaire. Peripheral arterial disease was defined as an ankle-arm systolic blood pressure index (AAI) of ≤0.9 and was present in 204 men and 370 women. In multivariate-adjusted logistic regression analyses, vitamin C intake was significantly inversely associated with peripheral arterial disease in women (highest vs. lowest quartile: relative risk = 0.64, 95% confidence interval (Cl): 0.48, 0.89; ptrend = 0.006), and a 100-mg increase in intake was associated with a 0.013 AAI increase (95% Cl: 0.001, 0.025). In men, vitamin E intake was inversely associated with peripheral arterial disease (relative risk = 0.67, 95% Cl: 0.44, 1.03; ptrend = 0.067); a 10-mg increase in intake was associated with a 0.015 AAI increase (95% Cl: 0.001, 0.031). Whether these differences in antioxidant intake and the risk of a low AAI and of peripheral arterial disease between sexes are attributable to a different food pattern for men compared with women remains to be elucidated.