Dietary antioxidant intake in school age and lung function development up to adolescence.

Emmanouela Sdona,Alicja Wolk,Susanne Rautiainen,Jenny Hallberg,Inger Kull,Anna Bergström,Niklas Andersson,Sandra Ekström,Erik Melén,Niclas Håkansson

doi:10.1183/13993003.00990-2019

Abstract

Dietary antioxidant intake has been hypothesised to influence lung function. The association between total antioxidant capacity (TAC) of the diet at age 8 years and lung function development up to 16 years in 2307 participants from the Swedish population-based birth cohort BAMSE (Children, Allergy, Milieu, Stockholm, Epidemiology) was investigated.Information on TAC was obtained from a food frequency questionnaire at 8 years. Lung function was measured by spirometry at 8 and 16 years, impulse oscillometry (IOS) and exhaled nitric oxide fraction (FeNO) at 16 years. Low lung function was defined as forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) z-score below the 25th percentile. Longitudinal associations between TAC and lung function were analysed by mixed effect models adjusted for potential confounders. Stratification by asthma at 8 years was performed to examine effect modification.The median TAC intake was 10 067 μmol Trolox equivalents (TE)·g−1, with males having a lower mean compared to females (9963 versus 10 819 μmol TE·g−1). In analyses of lung function change between 8 and 16 years, there were no statistically significant associations between TAC in tertiles and spirometry results for the total study population. Among children with asthma at 8 years (prevalence 7%), higher TAC was associated with higher mean FEV1 (0.46 sd, 95% CI 0.11–0.80) and decreased odds of low lung function at 16 years (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.12–0.65). There were no associations between TAC and forced vital capacity or IOS/FeNO results.High dietary antioxidant intake in school age may be associated with improved lung function development from school age to adolescence among children with asthma.

Highlights

In recent years, the importance of a full growth to maximal lung function in childhood has been reinforced by accumulating evidence that lung function deficits established by school age may track into adult life [1, 2]
Associations between dietary total antioxidant capacity (TAC) at 8 years and lung function at 8 and 16 years In linear regression analyses, associations between dietary TAC in tertiles at 8 years and spirometry results at 8 and 16 years were not statistically significant, higher mean forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1) and forced vital capacity (FVC) were observed for males
Consistent with the linear regression results, higher mean FEV1 and FVC were observed for males, but associations were not significant

Summary

Introduction

The importance of a full growth to maximal lung function in childhood has been reinforced by accumulating evidence that lung function deficits established by school age may track into adult life [1, 2]. Achieving optimal lung function is an important goal in the prevention of chronic respiratory diseases and subsequent mortality, and a major public health objective [3]. The association between dietary factors with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and risk of asthma and other chronic respiratory diseases in the general population has been investigated previously [6,7,8]. Prospective studies examining the association between maternal diet during pregnancy and the occurrence of asthma and other allergic diseases in the offspring have contributed information on the role of dietary exposures early in life [9]. Analyses from the Swedish BAMSE birth cohort show that a high intake of dietary antioxidants at age 8 years was associated with a reduced risk of subsequent development of IgE sensitisation to inhalant allergens and allergic asthma [10]. A recent prospective study from Japan found a significant inverse association between fruit intake and the onset of respiratory allergic symptoms in schoolchildren [11]

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