Table 9.

Serum Values at Baseline and Median Percent Change at Follow-up Years 1 and 5

		Baseline Median				Median % Change at Year 1				Median % Change at Year 5
Specimen	n	Placebo	Antioxidants	Zinc	Antioxidants + Zinc	Placebo	Antioxidants	Zinc	Antioxidants + Zinc	Placebo	Antioxidants	Zinc	Antioxidants + Zinc
Vitamin C, mg/dL*†	695	1.1	1.1	1.1	1.0	−8	30	−10	21	−7	14	−12	12
Vitamin E–cholesterol ratio‡	715	6.6	6.2	6.6	6.4	0	80	−3	84	6	78	6	81
Beta carotene, μg/dL	715	25	28	25	26	4	516	0	452	4	388	0	303
Zinc, μg/dL*	677	83	82	82	85	1	1	18	17	3	1	16	19
Copper, μg/dL*	675	117	115	116	117	2	−2	−2	−1	2	0	−3	2
Lutein + zeaxanthin, μg/dL	714	24	24	24	25	−2	−14	−7	−19	−13	−23	−21	−33
Vitamin A, μg/dL*	716	64	62	64	62	3	4	0	2	8	9	4	7
β-Cryptoxanthin, μg/dL	714	11	12	11	11	−3	0	0	0	−18	−21	−16	−14
Lycopene, μg/dL	716	19	20	20	18	−2	−5	0	−4	−20	−23	−20	−12
α-Carotene, μg/dL	713	6.0	6.0	6.0	6.0	0	48	0	38	−17	0	−20	0
Total cholesterol, mg/dL§	719	220	216	226	222	−1	3	−2	−1	−2	−2	−4	−3
Triglycerides, mg/dL§	719	134	116	132	128	0	7	0	11	−2	6	−5	−2
HDL-C, mg/dL§	698	50	52	53	51	3	0	0	−2	6	−2	2	0
LDL-C, mg/dL§||	697	137	139	142	139	−6	6	−11	−5	−5	−5	−6	−5
Hematocrit, %¶	2708	42	42	41	41	0	0	0	−2	−2	−2	−2	−2

^*To convert to micromoles per liter in Système International Units, multiply by the following conversion factors: vitamin C, 56.78; beta carotene, 0.0186; zinc, 0.153; copper, 0.1574; vitamin A, 0.0349.

^†Value is the total ascorbate level.

^‡Value is the ratio of vitamin E and total cholesterol levels, which adjusts for potential differences in vitamin E.

^§To convert to millimoles per liter in Système International Units, multiply by the following conversion factors: triglycerides, 0.01129; total cholesterol, 0.02586; high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), 0.02586; and low-density lipotrotein (LDC-C), 0.02586.

^||Value calculated as total cholesterol level – HDL-C) – (triglycerides/5).

^¶Hematocrit was measured at all clinical centers.