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Intake of B Vitamins and Carotenoids in Relation to Risk of Hip Fracture in Elderly Chinese

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Nutritional Influences on Bone Health

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Abstract

Experimental evidence has implicated that homocysteine and oxidative stress may be involved in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. In accord, observational studies among Caucasian populations have also suggested that homocysteine-related B vitamins (vitamins B2, B6, B12, and folate) and carotenoids with antioxidant functions may be beneficial to bone health and therefore protect against osteoporotic fractures. Incidence of hip fracture is rising in Asia, but there is paucity among Asian populations on dietary factors. We prospectively examined the associations of dietary intakes of B vitamins and carotenoids with hip fracture risk among elderly Chinese in the Singapore Chinese Health Study. Cox proportional hazards model was applied to determine the strength of association after adjusting for potential confounders. Our results showed a dose-dependent inverse relationship between vitamin B6 intake and hip fracture risk among women (p for trend = 0.002). Conversely, no protective association was found in men. Dietary intakes of vitamins B2, B12, and folate were not related to hip fracture risk in either gender. Vegetables are main sources of carotenoid intake in this population. In men, we found a dose-dependent inverse relationship between consumption of total vegetables and hip fracture risk (p for trend = 0.004). Similarly, higher intakes of total carotenoids, α- and β-carotene, were associated with lower hip fracture risk in men (all p for trend <0.05). Consumption of vegetables or carotenoids did not show an association with hip fracture risk in women. The gender-specific results in the protective roles of dietary B vitamins and carotenoids suggest that the mechanistic pathway for osteoporosis may be different between men and women.

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Acknowledgement

This study was supported by the National Medical Research Council, Singapore (NMRC/EDG/0011/2007) and National Institutes of Health, USA (NCI RO1 CA55069, R35 CA53890, R01 CA80205, and R01 CA144034)

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, National University of Singapore, MD3, 16 Medical Drive, Singapore, 117597, Singapore

    Zhaoli Dai MS

  2. Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, University of Pittsburg Cancer Institute, UPMC Cancer Pavilion, Suite 4C-465 5150 Centre Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15232, USA

    Renwei Wang MD

  3. Epidemiology and Disease Control Division, Ministry of Health, College of Medicine Building, 16 College Road, Singapore, 169854, Singapore

    Li-Wei Ang MSc (Statistics)

  4. Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, University of Pittsburg Cancer Institute, UPMC Cancer Pavilion, Suite 4C-470 5150 Centre Avenue, Pittsburg, PA, 15232, USA

    Jian-Min Yuan MD, PhD

  5. Office of Clinical Sciences, Duke-NUS Graduate Medical School Singapore, 8 College Road, 169857, Singapore, Singapore

    Woon-Puay Koh MBBS, PhD

Authors
  1. Zhaoli Dai MS
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  2. Renwei Wang MD
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  3. Li-Wei Ang MSc (Statistics)
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  4. Jian-Min Yuan MD, PhD
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Correspondence to Woon-Puay Koh MBBS, PhD .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. , Department of Internal Medicine, Hirslanden Clinic/Bois Cerf, Ave. d'Ouchy 31, Lausanne, 1006, Vaud, Switzerland

    Peter Burckhardt

  2. , Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, 711 Washington Street, Boston, 02111, Massachusetts, USA

    Bess Dawson-Hughes

  3. , Nutrition and Science, Purdue University, W. State Street 700, West Lafayette, 47907-2059, Indiana, USA

    Connie M. Weaver

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Dai, Z., Wang, R., Ang, LW., Yuan, JM., Koh, WP. (2013). Intake of B Vitamins and Carotenoids in Relation to Risk of Hip Fracture in Elderly Chinese. In: Burckhardt, P., Dawson-Hughes, B., Weaver, C. (eds) Nutritional Influences on Bone Health. Springer, London. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2769-7_16

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4471-2769-7_16

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, London

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4471-2768-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4471-2769-7

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