Abstract

Secrum lipid and vitamin E levels were determined and smoking, alcohol drinking and exercise habits were asked in 357 healthy male subjects aged 49.4+/-6.7 years in Taegu. Average serum levels of total cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride(TG) were 189+/-43 mg/dl, 42+/-13 mg/dl and 136+/-73 mg/dl, respectively. Serum level of lipid peroxide measured as thiobarbituric acid reactive substances(TBARS) of the subjects was 2.01+/-0.73MDA nmoles/ml and that of alpha-tocopherol was 9.53+/-3.14ug/ml. The correlation coefficients between alpha-tocopherol and serum lipids were 0.3631 for triglyceride, 0.2993 for cholesterol, and 0.3025 for total lipid. Heavy smokers who smoked more than 20 cigarettes a day had higher levels of TG and TBARS than those who smoke less. Alcohol drinkers had higher levels of TG and TBARS than nondrinkers. Vitamin E level(per ml serum)was significantly higher in the heavy smokers and drinkers, which was reflected by the higher level of serum lipid. When the level of alpha-tocopherol was expressed as alpha-tocopherol/triglyceride, it was negatively correlated with serum TBARS level and was lower in the heavy smokers than in the moderate smokers. It is concluded that vitamin E level as alpha-tocopherol/triglyceride would be better compared to alpha-tocopherol/total cholesterol or alpha-tocopherol/total lipid for the evaluation of vitamin E status in Korean men.

• Keywords: viatmin E; lipoperoxide; TBARS