Authors:
Ambrosini GL, Alfonso H, Reid A, Mackerras D, Bremner AP, Beilby J, Olsen NJ, Musk AW, De Klerk NH
Authors notes:
Nutrition 30(5): 551-556
Keywords:
Biomarkers, Carotene, Fractures, Intervention study, Plasma, Retinol, Vitamin A
Abstract:
Observational studies suggest that moderate intake of retinol and increased circulating retinol levels may increase fracture risk.
Easy access to supplements, combined with an aging population, makes this a potentially important association.
The aim of this study was to investigate plasma retinol and total carotene concentrations in relation to fracture risk after long-term supplementation with retinol and/or beta-carotene in 998 adults between 1990 and 2007.
Over a median follow-up of 7.8y, 123 participants with plasma samples reported an incident fracture.
Although plasma retinol concentrations were markedly higher than those reported in observational studies, no association was observed between plasma retinol and risk for any fracture or osteoporotic fracture.
A lower risk for any fracture was suggested with increasing plasma total carotenes.
This study does not support earlier reports of an increased fracture risk associated with increased plasma retinol concentration. The potential for carotenes to prevent fractures deserves further investigation.