(OR08-05-23) Skin Carotenoids in Relation to Cardiovascular Health in Adults

Objectives: Carotenoids are plant pigments that may play a role in reducing arterial stiffness and improving cardiovascular health. The focus of this study was to investigate the relationship between skin carotenoids and markers of cardiovascular health (i.e., arterial stiffness, blood pressure, wave reflections, and central hemodynamics). The hypothesis was that measures of vascular health – such as carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV), augmentation pressure and index, central (c) and peripheral (p) systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP and DBP respectively), and pulse pressure – will be lower for individuals with greater skin carotenoids as compared to those with lower skin carotenoids.

Methods: 39 adults aged 18-75 years participated in a cross-sectional study. Skin carotenoids were measured non-invasively using reflection spectroscopy (Veggie Meter®), and cardiovascular outcomes were assessed using the SphygmoCor® XCEL device. The relationship between skin carotenoids and cardiovascular health markers was analyzed using linear regression models after controlling for covariates (i.e., age, sex, income, and body mass index).

Results: Skin carotenoids were inversely associated with augmentation pressure (β= -0.33, p< 0.05). The effect remained significant after adjusting for age (β= -0.25, p< 0.05), but not after adjusting for all covariates (β= -0.21, p= 0.13). While skin carotenoid levels were inversely associated with cSBP (β= -0.31, p=0.055), pSBP (β= -0.31, p= 0.056), and central pulse pressure (β= -0.28, p= 0.078), these relationships did not reach statistical significance. Furthermore, skin carotenoids showed no significant relationship with cfPWV (β= -0.02, p= 0.91).

Conclusions: The findings of this preliminary study suggest a potential protective role of skin carotenoids on arterial stiffness, as indicated by the inverse relation with augmentation pressure. However, further research is needed in larger cohorts to confirm the association of skin carotenoids with other markers of cardiovascular health and investigate the potential mechanism underlying these relationships.

Funding Sources: No conflicts of interest or funding to report