Positive Health Online

Abstract

TAVANI and colleagues, Istituto di Ricerche Farmacologiche Mario Negri, Milano Italy. tavani@irfmn.mnegri.it write that there are indications suggest that beta-carotene, but not pre-formed vitamin A is protective regarding the risk of acute heart attack. @m: The authors investigated the relationship between nonfatal heart attack and beta-carotene and vitamin A intake in a case-control study between 1983 and 1992 in northern Italy. Participants included 433 women with nonfatal heart attack and 869 controls who were admitted to hospital for acute, non-cardiovascular, non-cancer, non-digestive, non-hormone related medical conditions. Factors included in the statistical analyses were age, education, body mass index, smoking, alcohol, coffee, menopausal status, hormone replacement therapy, diabetes, hypertension and hyperlipidaemia. @r:RESULTS: Risk of acute heart attack was inversely related to beta-carotene intake Odds Ratio (OR) = 0.5 for the highest quintile compared to the lowest of beta-carotene intake. The inverse association of beta-carotene intake with acute heart attack risk was considerably stronger in younger, lean women with no history of diabetes or hypertension and in women who were currently smoking. @c:CONCLUSIONS: The results of this study demonstrate that risk of nonfatal acute heart attack in women is inversely related to the intake of beta-carotene containing foods. @q:Tavani A et al. Beta-carotene intake and risk of nonfatal acute myocardial infarction in women. Eur J Epidemiol. 13 (6): 631-7. Sep 1997.

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