Abstract
BackgroundThere is a proposed link between dietary zinc intake and atherosclerosis, but this relationship remains unclear. Phytate may contribute to this relationship by influencing zinc bioavailability.ObjectiveThe aim of this study is to examine the relationship between zinc bioavailability and subclinical atherosclerosis in healthy Korean adults.Materials and MethodsThe present cross-sectional analysis used baseline data from the Korean multi-Rural Communities Cohort Study (MRCohort), which is a part of The Korean Genome Epidemiology Study (KoGES). A total of 5,532 subjects (2,116 men and 3,416 women) aged 40 years and older were recruited from rural communities in South Korea between 2005 and 2010. Phytate:zinc molar ratio, estimated from a food-based food frequency questionnaire (FFQ) of 106 food items, was used to determine zinc bioavailability, and carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) and pulse wave velocity (PWV) were measured to calculate the subclinical atherosclerotic index.ResultsWe found that phytate:zinc molar ratio is positively related to cIMT in men. A higher phytate:zinc molar ratio was significantly related to an increased risk of atherosclerosis in men, defined as the 80th percentile value of cIMT (5th vs. 1st quintile, OR = 2.11, 95% CI 1.42-3.15, P for trend = 0.0009), and especially in elderly men (5th vs. 1st quintile, OR = 2.58, 95% CI 1.52-4.37, P for trend = 0.0021). We found a positive relationship between phytate:zinc molar ratio and atherosclerosis risk among women aged 65 years or younger. Phytate:zinc molar ratio was not found to be related to PWV.ConclusionsLower zinc bioavailability may be related to higher atherosclerosis risk.
Highlights
Zinc is an essential micronutrient that plays catalytic, structural, and regulatory roles [1] and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects [2] in many organisms [3]
This study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki and all procedures involving human subjects were approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Hanyang University, Chonnam National University, and Keimyung University
A positive relationship between phytate:zinc molar ratio and subclinical atherosclerosis risk was apparent in all multivariate adjusted models (Q5 vs. Q1, odds ratios (ORs)=2.11, 95% confidence intervals (CIs)=1.42–3.15, P for trend=0.0009; ratio 5 unit/d OR=1.48, 95% CI=1.16–1.89, P value=0.0019 in third model)
Summary
Zinc is an essential micronutrient that plays catalytic, structural, and regulatory roles [1] and has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects [2] in many organisms [3]. Phytate may contribute to this relationship by influencing zinc bioavailability. Objective: The aim of this study is to examine the relationship between zinc bioavailability and subclinical atherosclerosis in healthy Korean adults. Results: We found that phytate:zinc molar ratio is positively related to cIMT in men. A higher phytate:zinc molar ratio was significantly related to an increased risk of atherosclerosis in men, defined as the 80th percentile value of cIMT (5th vs 1st quintile, OR = 2.11, 95% CI 1.42-3.15, P for trend = 0.0009), and especially in elderly men (5th vs 1st quintile, OR = 2.58, 95% CI 1.52-4.37, P for trend = 0.0021). We found a positive relationship between phytate:zinc molar ratio and atherosclerosis risk among women aged 65 years or younger. Phytate:zinc molar ratio was not found to be related to PWV. Conclusions: Lower zinc bioavailability may be related to higher atherosclerosis risk
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