Table 3. Hazard ratios (HRs) of serum carotenoid values for cardiovascular disease mortality.

		No		Model 1		Model 2
		Subjects	deaths	HR (95% CI)	p value	HR (95% CI)	p value
Cardiovascular disease	α-carotene	3,059	80	0.52 (0.37- 0.74)	0.000	0.55 (0.38- 0.79)	0.001
	β-carotene	3,059	80	0.61 (0.45- 0.82)	0.015	0.64 (0.47-0.89)	0.007
	Lycopene	3,059	80	0.73 (0.55-0.97)	0.032	0.77 (0.57-1.04)	0.088
	Total carotene	3,059	80	0.54 (0.38-0.77)	0.001	0.57 (0.40-0.83)	0.003
Heart disease	α-carotene	3,059	40	0.45 (0.27-0.73)	0.002	0.51 (0.30-0.86)	0.012
	β-carotene	3,059	40	0.70 (0.45-1.09)	0.112	0.84 (0.53-1.34)	0.465
	Lycopene	3,059	40	0.68 (0.45-1.03)	0.069	0.74 (0.48-1.13)	0.163
	Total carotene	3,059	40	0.60 (0.37-0.99)	0.049	0.72 (0.41-1.23)	0.228
Stroke	α-carotene	3,059	37	0.56 (0.34-0.94)	0.027	0.52 (0.31-0.88)	0.016
	β-carotene	3,059	37	0.53 (0.34-0.82)	0.005	0.48 (0.31-0.76)	0.002
	Lycopene	3,059	37	0.76 (0.50-1.17)	0.210	0.78 (0.51-1.19)	0.253
	Total carotene	3,059	37	0.48 (0.29-0.80)	0.005	0.45 (0.28-0.76)	0.003

Hazard ratios per each logarithmically transformed value of serum carotenoid levels (μmol/L) were calculated using Cox proportional hazard model adjusting for sex, age, smoking status (Model 1), and sex, age, smoking status, alcohol consumption, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, serum total cholesterol levels, and serum values of triglyceride and alanine transaminase activity (Model 2).

Serum levels of carotenoids, triglyceride, and alanine transaminase activity were transformed logarithmically.

Serum levels of total carotenes were calculated as sum of α-carotene, β-carotene, and lycopene levels.