Table 3

Difference in FEV1 for a one SD or quintile increase in antioxidants
Nutrient
 Model as
 Model 1*
 Model 2†
 Model 3‡




β coeff
 95% CI
 β coeff
 95% CI
 β coeff
 95% CI
Vitamin A (μmol/L)
 Per SD change
 42.6
 32.4 to 52.9
 31.2
 21.8 to 40.5
 33.1
 23.7 to 42.6







p < 0.001
Alpha-carotene (μmol/L)
 Per SD change
 23.7
 6.4 to 41.1



Beta-carotene (μmol/L)
 Per SD change
 25.5
 16.3 to 34.7



Beta-cryptoxanthin (μmol/L)
 ≤ 0.09
 reference
reference
reference

0.10 – 0.13
 44.9
 19.4 to 70.4
 20.9
 -3.4 to 45.3
 26.4
 -0.3 to 53.0

0.14 – 0.18
 93.6
 68.0 to 119.3
 57.1
 31.2 to 82.9
 57.1
 30.8 to 83.5

0.19 – 0.25
 94.6
 63.4 to 125.9
 50.7
 22.6 to 78.8
 60.4
 25.7 to 95.0

≥ 0.26
 110.7
 78.2 to 143.2
 52.3
 22.1 to 82.5
 66.3
 31.5 to 101.6







p = 0.004
Lutein/Zeaxanthin (μmol/L)
 Per SD change
 29.2
 16.2 to 42.3
 14.1
 4.6 to 23.6
 8.6
 -1.5 to 18.6







p = 0.092
Lycopene (μmol/L))
 ≤ 0.22
 reference
reference
reference

0.23 – 0.34
 52.8
 25.1 to 80.6
 35.9
 11.3 to 60.5
 33.8
 5.2 to 62.5

0.35 – 0.43
 63.7
 39.8 to 87.6
 39.2
 12.1 to 66.2
 35.6
 10.0 to 61.1

0.44 – 0.58
 70.5
 40.1 to 100.9
 40.0
 13.4 to 66.5
 36.9
 7.9 to 65.9

≥ 0.59
 88.0
 59.9 to 116.2
 48.9
 19.9 to 77.9
 54.3
 25.0 to 83.6







p = 0.01
Retinyl Esters (μmol/L)
 Per SD change
 23.5
 11.9 to 35.0



Vitamin B12 (pmol/L)
 ≤ 239.1
 reference





239.2 – 304.0
 4.4
 -30.2 to 39.1




304.1 – 374.8
 -9.3
 -43.7 to 25.0




374.9 – 478.1
 -7.2
 -42.0 to 27.5




≥ 478.2
 -29.7
 -64.5 to 5.2



Vitamin C (mmol/L)
 Per SD change
 38.1
 28.1 to 48.0
 17.0
 6.8 to 27.3
 17.9
 7.5 to 28.2







p < 0.001
Vitamin E (μmol/L)
 Per SD change
 45.6
 32.9 to 58.3
 23.1
 11.5 to 34.7
 25.3
 12.3 to 38.4







p < 0.001
Selenium (nmol/L)
 ≤ 1.4
 reference
reference
reference

1.41 – 1.5
 50.0
 23.5 to 76.6
 40.5
 15.5 to 65.5
 43.4
 13.6 to 73.1

1.51 – 1.6
 61.1
 33.8 to 88.4
 48.5
 23.8 to 73.3
 57.0
 29.5 to 84.5

1.61 – 1.73
 89.9
 61.1 to 118.7
 73.1
 48.0 to 98.3
 76.7
 47.1 to 106.4

≥ 1.74
 80.4
 50.5 to 110.2
 60.1
 34.0 to 86.2
 68.6
 34.8 to 102.4







0.002

*Model 1- Adjusted for age, sex, height, smoking (status and packyears), BMI, race/ethnicity and fat-soluble vitamins adjusted for cholesterol and triglycerides, considering the nutrients individually

†Model 2- Adjusted for covariates listed under Model 1, as well as for all nutrients with statistically significant associations with lung function in a mutually adjusted model. Number of participants in model = 14120

‡Model 3- Adjusted for all covariates and nutrients in Model 1 & 2 and additionally adjusted for minerals and other nutrients found to be significantly associated with lung function (model 2) in Table 4. Number of participants in model = 12657

McKeever et al. Respiratory Research 2008 9:67   doi:10.1186/1465-9921-9-67