Skip to main content
NUTRITION 2026 Main banner

(OR15-02-26) Skin Carotenoids and Vascular Biomarkers Among School-Aged Children

Monday, July 27, 2026
8:42 AM - 8:54 AM ET
Location: National Harbor 4-5
Disclosure(s):
Ruyu Liu, PhD, RD: No relevant financial relationship(s) with ineligible companies to disclose.
Sharon M. Donovan, PhD, RD: Abbott Nutrition Health Institute: Speaker/Speaker's Bureau (Terminated, June 30, 2025)
ByHeart: Advisory Committee/Board Member (Ongoing)
Danone North America: Advisory Committee/Board Member (Ongoing)
DSM: Speaker/Speaker's Bureau (Terminated, March 30, 2024)
Helaina: Grant/Research Support (Terminated, December 31, 2025)
National Dairy Council: Advisory Committee/Board Member (Ongoing)
Nestle Nutrition: Grant/Research Support (Ongoing)
Perrigo Nutrition: Grant/Research Support (Ongoing)
Soy Nutrition Institute Global: Grant/Research Support (Ongoing)
Objectives: While carotenoids show promise for protecting against arterial stiffening and vascular dysfunction in adults, these relationships remain poorly understood in early life. Since childhood represents a critical period for establishing dietary patterns and vascular health trajectories, this study aims to examine the associations between skin carotenoids (SC) and vascular biomarkers in school-aged children.

Methods: This cross-sectional study examined a sample of school-aged children. Child demographics were collected using a survey completed by the parent/guardian. SC were assessed using the Veggie Meter®. Height and weight were assessed using a stadiometer and digital scale. Age- and sex-adjusted BMI percentiles were computed using CDC defined cutoffs. The SphygmoCor device and XCEL software were used to assess vascular biomarkers, including brachial and aortic blood pressure (BP), aortic pulse pressure, mean arterial pressure, heart rate, augmentation index, and carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity. Spearman correlations and multiple linear regression were conducted.

Results: The majority (71%) of participants (n=168, 10.2±1.8 y, 51% boys) had normal weight BMI percentile, with 26% in the overweight and obese categories. The mean SC score was 289±96. Girls with overweight and obesity (n=26) exhibited a strong inverse association between SC and brachial systolic BP, with every 100 SC units corresponding to an estimated 10 mmHg decrease in brachial systolic BP, adjusting for age (β=0.14, p=0.002). No associations were observed among boys with overweight and obesity. Participants with normal weight showed no associations regardless of sex. No associations were observed between SC and other vascular biomarkers.

Conclusions: SC were inversely associated with brachial systolic BP in girls with overweight and obesity. These findings warrant investigation of the mechanisms driving sex-specific dietary-cardiovascular interactions. Future studies might benefit from stratified analyses across personal factors such as sex and weight status to identify population-specific relationships.

Funding Sources: The National Institutes of Health, Chancellor’s Research Program and the Division of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Illinois, and the Soy Nutrition Institute