Total Antioxidant Capacity from Diet and Risk of Myocardial Infarction: A Prospective Cohort of Women

There are no previous studies investigating the effect of all dietary antioxidants in relation to myocardial infarction. The total antioxidant capacity of diet takes into account all antioxidants and synergistic effects between them. The aim of this study was to examine how total antioxidant capacity of diet and antioxidant-containing foods were associated with incident myocardial infarction among middle-aged and elderly women.

In the population-based prospective Swedish Mammography Cohort of 49-83-year-old women, 32,561 were cardiovascular disease-free at baseline. Women completed a food-frequency questionnaire, and dietary total antioxidant capacity was calculated using oxygen radical absorbance capacity values. Information on myocardial infarction was identified from the Swedish Hospital Discharge and the Cause of Death registries. Hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using Cox proportional hazard models.

–To read this article in its entirety, please visit our website.

–Susanne Rautiainen, MSc, Emily B. Levitan, DrPh, Nicola Orsini, PhD, Agneta Åkesson, PhD, Ralf Morgenstern, PhD, Murray A. Mittleman, MDDrPh, Alicja Wolk, DrMedSci

–This article originally appeared in the October 2012 issue of The American Journal of Medicine.