Interrelationships of coronary heart disease risk, dietary and serum levels of antioxidant vitamins, folate and fat in African-American and White adults

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the primary contributor to death for all racial groups in the United States. However, the rate of death from CHD disproportionately affects African Americans more than Whites. Most of the classic CHD risk factors such as high blood pressure and cholesterol, obesity and diabetes are more common in African Americans than Whites. Epidemiological studies suggest that certain antioxidant vitamins A, C, and E, antioxidant carotenoids, beta-carotene and lycopene, and the B vitamin, folate, as well as lipids such as monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, may reduce the risks of CHD, particularly unfavorable blood cholesterol levels. This study investigated the relationships of dietary intakes of antioxidant vitamins, carotenoids, folate and dietary fat to serum levels of these nutrients and the lipid profile among African-American and White adults with favorable and unfavorable blood cholesterol levels.; Data from non-institutionalized civilians aged two months or older from the fifty United States and the District of Columbia were obtained from the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III). The data were analyzed using SUDAAN. Statistical analyses included a t-test for the comparison of dietary intake and serum concentrations of the vitamins and lipids among African Americans and Whites with favorable and unfavorable blood cholesterol levels. Regression was used to determine relationships between the dietary intake and serum concentrations of the vitamins, and the serum lipid levels of African Americans and Whites with favorable and unfavorable blood cholesterol levels. Additionally, logistic regression was used to investigate the variables predictive of unfavorable blood cholesterol levels in the African Americans and Whites with favorable and unfavorable blood cholesterol levels. Significant levels were set at p ≤ 0.05.; No significant difference was identified regarding the dietary intakes of vitamins and lipids in the subjects. Significant differences were found only among serum vitamin and serum lipid levels in the subjects with favorable and unfavorable blood cholesterol levels. Whites with unfavorable blood cholesterol levels had significantly higher serum triglyceride levels, as well as serum levels of vitamins A, C, and E, and lycopene than African Americans with unfavorable blood cholesterol levels. Whites with favorable blood cholesterol levels had significantly lower serum low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and total cholesterol levels than African Americans with favorable cholesterol levels. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)...