Abstract In vitro and in vivo studies suggest that carotenoids may inhibit bone resorption; yet no previous study has examined individual carotenoid intake (other than beta-carotene) and the risk of fracture. We evaluated associations of total and individual carotenoid intake (alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, lutein+zeaxanthin) with incident hip fracture and non-vertebral osteoporotic fracture. 370 men and 576 women (mean age 75 +/- 5 y) from the Framingham Osteoporosis Study completed a food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) in 1988-89 and were followed for hip fracture until 2005 and non-vertebral fracture until 2003. Tertiles of carotenoid intake were created from estimates obtained using the Willett FFQ adjusting for total energy (residual method). Hazard ratios (HR) were estimated using Cox-proportional hazards regression, adjusting for sex, age, body mass index, height, total energy, calcium and vitamin D intake, physical activity, alcohol, smoking, multivitamin use and current estrogen use. A total of 100 hip fractures occurred over 17-y of follow-up. Subjects in the highest tertile of total carotenoid intake had lower risk of hip fracture (P trend=0.02). Subjects with higher lycopene intake had lower risk of hip fracture (P trend=0.01), and non-vertebral fracture (P trend=0.02). A weak protective trend was observed for total beta-carotene for hip fracture alone but associations didnot reach statistical significance (P trend=0.10). No significant associations were observed with alpha-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin or lutein plus zeaxanthin. These results suggest a protective role of several carotenoids for bone health in older adults.
| J Bone Miner Res. 2009 Jan 12; [Epub ahead of print] |  |