Associations between the dietary intake of antioxidant nutrients and the risk of hip fracture in elderly Chinese: a case-control study

Br J Nutr. 2014 Nov 28;112(10):1706-14. doi: 10.1017/S0007114514002773. Epub 2014 Oct 7.

Abstract

The role of oxidative stress in skeletal health is unclear. The present study investigated whether a high dietary intake of antioxidant nutrients (vitamins C and E, β-carotene, animal-derived vitamin A, retinol equivalents, Zn and Se) is associated with a reduced risk of hip fracture in elderly Chinese. This 1:1 matched case-control study involved 726 elderly Chinese with hip fracture and 726 control subjects, recruited between June 2009 and May 2013. Face-to-face interviews were conducted to determine habitual dietary intakes of the above-mentioned seven nutrients based on a seventy-nine-item FFQ and information on various covariates, and an antioxidant score was calculated. After adjustment for potential covariates, dose-dependent inverse associations were observed between the dietary intake of vitamin C, vitamin E, β-carotene, and Se and antioxidant score and the risk of hip fracture (P for trend ≤ 0·005). The OR of hip fracture for the highest (v. lowest) quartile of intake were 0·39 (95 % CI 0·28, 0·56) for vitamin C, 0·23 (95 % CI 0·16, 0·33) for vitamin E, 0·51 (95 % CI 0·36, 0·73) for β-carotene, 0·43 (95 % CI 0·26, 0·70) for Se and 0·24 (95 % CI 0·17, 0·36) for the antioxidant score. A moderate-to-high dietary intake of retinol equivalents in quartiles 2-4 (v. 1) was found to be associated with a lower risk of hip fracture (OR range: 0·51-0·63, P< 0·05). No significant association was observed between dietary Zn or animal-derived vitamin A intake and hip fracture risk (P for trend >0·20). In conclusion, a higher dietary intake of vitamins C and E, β-carotene, and Se and a moderate-to-high dietary intake of retinol equivalents are associated with a lower risk of hip fracture in elderly Chinese.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Antioxidants / therapeutic use*
  • Ascorbic Acid / therapeutic use*
  • Asian People
  • Case-Control Studies
  • China
  • Female
  • Hip Fractures / prevention & control*
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Odds Ratio
  • Osteoporosis / complications
  • Osteoporosis / prevention & control
  • Oxidative Stress
  • Risk
  • Risk Factors
  • Selenium / therapeutic use*
  • Trace Elements / therapeutic use
  • Vitamin A / therapeutic use*
  • Vitamin E / therapeutic use*
  • Vitamins / therapeutic use
  • Zinc / pharmacology
  • beta Carotene / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Antioxidants
  • Trace Elements
  • Vitamins
  • beta Carotene
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin E
  • Selenium
  • Zinc
  • Ascorbic Acid