Independent inverse relationship between serum lycopene concentration and arterial stiffness.

Objective: Emerging evidence suggests a role of lycopene in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to investigate the association of serum lycopene concentration with brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), a marker of arterial stiffness and markers of oxidative stress and inflammation.

Methods: healthy women (n=264, 31-75 yrs) were classified into tertiles according to serum lycopene concentration.