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Low levels of carotenoids and retinol in involutional osteoporosis

Previous epidemiological studies conducted in retinol-supplemented subjects showed an association between high serum levels or dietary intake of retinol and risk of hip fracture. On the other side, observational studies revealed that non-supplemented subjects with higher dietary intake of retinol lo...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Bone (New York, N.Y.) N.Y.), 2006-02, Vol.38 (2), p.244-248
Main Authors: Maggio, Dario, Polidori, M. Cristina, Barabani, Mauro, Tufi, Angela, Ruggiero, Carmelinda, Cecchetti, Roberta, Aisa, M. Cristina, Stahl, Wilhelm, Cherubini, Antonio
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Language:English
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Summary:Previous epidemiological studies conducted in retinol-supplemented subjects showed an association between high serum levels or dietary intake of retinol and risk of hip fracture. On the other side, observational studies revealed that non-supplemented subjects with higher dietary intake of retinol lose less bone with age than subjects with lower intake. This discrepancy, currently unexplained, suggests that nutrition plays a major role in conditioning the effects of retinol on bone. Since retinol is derived from both retinoids – contained in animal food – and carotenoids – contained in vegetables and fruits – we evaluated a possible role of carotenoids in involutional osteoporosis. Therefore, plasma levels of β-carotene and other carotenoids, in addition to those of retinol, were measured in free-living, non-supplemented, elderly women with or without severe osteoporosis. Plasma levels of retinol and of all carotenoids tested, with the exception of lutein, were consistently lower in osteoporotic than in control women. A weak association was found only between retinol and femoral neck bone mineral density in osteoporotic women. Our study suggests a bone sparing effect of retinol, to which the provitamin A activity of some carotenoids might have contributed.
ISSN:8756-3282
1873-2763
DOI:10.1016/j.bone.2005.08.003