Gene polymorphisms and gene scores linked to low serum carotenoid status and their associations with metabolic disturbance and depressive symptoms in African-American adults

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Gene markers associated with low carotene levels were not associated with obesity or metabolic syndrome MetS after correction for multiple testing. However, an inverse association was found between the low specific carotenoid risk scores (LSCRS) for alpha-carotene and beta-cryptoxanthine and HDL-cholesterol (HDL-C) dyslipidaemia. The LSCRS for beta-cryotoxanthin was also linked to a higher odds of elevated depressive symptoms, with a linear dose-response relationship. Further studies using larger African-American population samples are needed.

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