Oxidative stress may accelerate ageing and increase the risk of chronic diseases, such as coronary heart disease (CHD). We assessed differences in oxidative stress, and iron and antioxidant status between elderly men living in Mediterranean southern Europe (Crete, Greece) and northern Europe (Zutphen, The Netherlands).
Design
A cross-sectional study using data from two cohorts of the Seven Countries Study.
Methods
Non-fasting blood samples were drawn in 2000 from 105 men from Crete and 139 men from Zutphen, all aged 79 years or over. All assays were performed in the same laboratory.
Results
After multiple adjustments, serum levels of the markers of oxidative stress were lower in Cretan men than in men from Zutphen, as indicated by lower mean levels of hydroperoxides (33.2 versus 57.3 μmol/l; P = 0.005) and gamma-glutamyltransferase (20.3 versus 26.1 U/I; P = 0.003). The most pronounced difference in iron status was a twofold lower mean serum ferritin level in Cretan men (69.8 μg/I) compared with men from Zutphen (134.2 μg/I; P < 0.0001). Men from Crete had consistently higher plasma levels of major plasma antioxidants than the Zutphen men, including a nearly fourfold higher mean level of lycopene (15.3 versus 4.1 μg/100 ml; P < 0.0001).
Conclusion
Elderly men from Crete had consistently lower levels of the indicators of oxidative stress and iron status and higher concentrations of major antioxidants than men from Zutphen. These differences may contribute to the lower rate of CHD and total mortality that has been observed in this cohort of Cretan men.
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RuttmannEBrantLJConcinHDiemGRappKUlmerH.Gamma-glutamyltransferase as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease mortality: an epidemiological investigation in a cohort of 163,944 Austrian adults. Circulation2005; 112:2130–2137.
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PaolicchiAEmdinMGhliozeniECianciaEPassinoCPopoffG. Images in cardiovascular medicine. Human atherosclerotic plaques contain gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase enzyme activity. Circulation2004; 109:1440.
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DaneshJApplebyP.Coronary heart disease and iron status: meta-analyses of prospective studies. Circulation1999; 99:852–854.
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SemposCTLookerACGillumRFMcGeeDLVuongCVJohnsonCL.Serum ferritin and death from all causes and cardiovascular disease. The NHANES II Mortality Study. Ann Epidemiol2000; 10:441–448.
22.
AscherioARimmEBGiovannucciEWillettWCStampferMJ.Blood donations and risk of coronary heart disease in men. Circulation2001; 103:52–57.
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ParkerRS.Absorption, metabolism, and transport of carotenoids. FASEB J1996; 10:542–551.
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DoshiSNMcDowellIFMoatSJPayneNDurrantHJLewisMJ. Folic acid improves endothelial function in coronary artery disease via mechanisms largely independent of homocysteine lowering. Circulation2002; 105:22–26.
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DoshiSNMcDowellIFMoatSJLangDNewcombeRGKredanMB. Folate improves endothelial function in coronary artery disease: an effect mediated by reduction of intracellular superoxide? Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol2001; 21:1196–1202.
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WilliamsCKingwellBABurkeKMcPhersonJDartAM.Folic acid supplementation for 3 wk reduces pulse pressure and large artery stiffness independent of MTHFR genotype. Am J Clin Nutr2005; 82:26–31.
27.
HarmanD.Aging: a theory based on free radical and radiation chemistry. J Gerontol1956; 11:298–300.
28.
FinkelTHolbrookNJ.Oxidants, oxidative stress and the biology of ageing. Nature2000; 408:239–247.
29.
HalliwellBGutteridgeJMC.Free radicals in biology and medicine, 2nd ed.New York, USA: Oxford University Press; 1985. pp. 416–494.
30.
JohnsonMAFischerJGBowmanBAGunterEW.Iron nutriture in elderly individuals. FASEB J1994; 8:609–621.
31.
SalonenJTNyyssonenKKorpelaHTuomilehtoJSeppanenRSalonenR.High stored iron levels are associated with excess risk of myocardial infarction in eastern Finnish men. Circulation1992; 86:803–811.
32.
SansSKestelootHKromhoutD.The burden of cardiovascular diseases mortality in Europe. Task Force of the European Society of Cardiology on Cardiovascular Mortality and Morbidity Statistics in Europe. Eur Heart J1997; 18:1231–1248.
33.
KestelootHSansSKromhoutD.Evolution of all-causes and cardiovascular mortality in the age-group 75-84 years in Europe during the period 1970-1996; a comparison with worldwide changes. Eur Heart J2002; 23:384–398.
34.
KromhoutDMenottiABlackburnH, (eds). Prevention of coronary heart disease: diet, lifestyle and risk factors in the Seven Countries Study. Norwell, MA, USA: Kluwer Academic Press; 2002.
35.
KeysAAravanisCBlackburnHWvan BuchemFSPBuzinaRDjordjevicBS. Epidemiological studies related to coronary heart disease: characteristics of men aged 40-59 in seven countries. Acta Med Scand1966; 460 (Suppl.):1–392.
36.
LeeDHBlomhoffRJacobsDRJr.Is serum gamma glutamyltransferase a marker of oxidative stress? Free Radic Res2004; 38:535–539.
37.
HeathALFairweather-TaitSJ.Health implications of iron overload: the role of diet and genotype. Nutr Rev2003; 61: 45–62.
38.
BijnenFCCaspersenCJFeskensEJSarisWHMosterdWLKromhoutD.Physical activity and 10-year mortality from cardiovascular diseases and all causes: the Zutphen Elderly Study. Arch Intern Med1998; 158:1499–1505.
MiuraKNakagawaHNakamuraHTabataMNagaseHYoshidaMKawanoS.Serum gamma-glutamyl transferase level in predicting hypertension among male drinkers. J Hum Hypertens1994; 8:445–449.
41.
LeeDHJacobsDRJrGrossMKiefeCIRosemanJLewisCESteffesM.Gamma-glutamyltransferase is a predictor of incident diabetes and hypertension: the Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA) Study. Clin Chem2003; 49:1358–1366.
42.
PerryIJWannametheeSGShaperAG.Prospective studyofserum gamma-glutamyltransferase and risk of NIDDM. Diabetes Care1998; 21:732–737.
43.
JousilahtiPRastenyteDTuomilehtoJ.Serum gamma-glutamyl transferase, self-reported alcohol drinking, and the risk of stroke. Stroke2000; 31:1851–1855.
44.
RuttmannEBrantLJConcinHDiemGRappKUlmerH.Gamma-glutamyltransferase as a risk factor for cardiovascular disease mortality: an epidemiological investigation in a cohort of 163,944 Austrian adults. Circulation2005; 112:2130–2137.
45.
PaolicchiAEmdinMGhliozeniECianciaEPassinoCPopoffG. Images in cardiovascular medicine. Human atherosclerotic plaques contain gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase enzyme activity. Circulation2004; 109:1440.
46.
DaneshJApplebyP.Coronary heart disease and iron status: meta-analyses of prospective studies. Circulation1999; 99:852–854.
47.
SemposCTLookerACGillumRFMcGeeDLVuongCVJohnsonCL.Serum ferritin and death from all causes and cardiovascular disease. The NHANES II Mortality Study. Ann Epidemiol2000; 10:441–448.
48.
AscherioARimmEBGiovannucciEWillettWCStampferMJ.Blood donations and risk of coronary heart disease in men. Circulation2001; 103:52–57.
49.
ParkerRS.Absorption, metabolism, and transport of carotenoids. FASEB J1996; 10:542–551.
50.
DoshiSNMcDowellIFMoatSJPayneNDurrantHJLewisMJ. Folic acid improves endothelial function in coronary artery disease via mechanisms largely independent of homocysteine lowering. Circulation2002; 105:22–26.
51.
DoshiSNMcDowellIFMoatSJLangDNewcombeRGKredanMB. Folate improves endothelial function in coronary artery disease: an effect mediated by reduction of intracellular superoxide? Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol2001; 21:1196–1202.
52.
WilliamsCKingwellBABurkeKMcPhersonJDartAM.Folic acid supplementation for 3 wk reduces pulse pressure and large artery stiffness independent of MTHFR genotype. Am J Clin Nutr2005; 82:26–31.
