Serum alpha tocopherol concentrations and cholesterol ester fatty acid composition in 70-year-old men reflect those 20 years earlier.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: It has been suggested that low serum alpha tocopherol concentrations and a low proportion of polyunsaturated fatty acids in the serum cholesterol esters may be associated with a high risk of developing coronary heart disease. DESIGN AND SUBJECTS: In this study the intraindividual reproducibility (biological 'tracking') of these variables was studied in 855 men at the ages of 50 and 70 years. RESULTS: The lipid adjusted tocopherol concentration was positively correlated (r = 0.28, P < 0.0001) between 50 and 70 years of age. Also the proportions of the serum cholesterol ester fatty acids were positively correlated between the same ages with r = 0.31 (P < 0.0001) for palmitic, r = 0.45 (P < 0.0001) for linoleic, and r = 0.58 (P < 0.0001) for arachidonic acid. The body weights of the men at 50 and 70 years of age were strongly correlated (r = 0.78, P < 0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: The tocopherol concentrations and the fatty acid composition are related to vitamin intake and to the dietary fat quality, respectively, and may be useful markers in prospective studies of diseases and of development of diseases. The correlations between the proportions of fatty acids and the body weights, respectively at the ages of 50 and 70 indicate, that changes in diet and body weight in men are probably relatively limited between these years.