TUESDAY, Nov. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Antioxidant deficiency may contribute to decreased lung function in men with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), according to data presented at the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians, held from Oct. 30 to Nov. 4 in Vancouver, Canada.
Mohammad S. Khan, D.O., of the Akron City Hospital in Ohio, and colleagues evaluated 20 participants (13 female and seven male) who completed a take-home, self-administered, food frequency questionnaire to assess habitual dietary intake of vitamins A, C, D and E, and selenium. Participants also underwent pulmonary function testing.
The investigators found that 25 percent of participants were deficient in selenium, 45 percent in vitamin C, 90 percent in vitamin E, 55 percent in vitamin A, and 70 percent in vitamin D. Forced vital capacity (FVC) was decreased in those who were selenium deficient compared to those who were not deficient. In addition, FVC was lower in men who were deficient in vitamin A, C, or D compared to those who were not deficient in those vitamins. However, this association between FVC and vitamin A, C, or D deficiency was not seen among women.
"The contribution of antioxidant deficiency to decreased lung function in COPD patients appears to be more pronounced in men compared to women. Further studies examining the effect of antioxidant intake and gender on lung function in COPD are warranted," the authors write.
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