In a large multicenter case-control study (EURAMIC), the relationship between adipose tissue antioxidant status (alpha- and beta-carotene and lycopene) and acute myocardial infarction were evaluated in 662 cases and 717 controls. Subjects in this trial were recruited from 10 European countries to maximize the variability in exposure within the study. Adipose antioxidant levels were measured because they are considered to be a better marker of long-term exposure than serum lycopene. After adjusting for a range of dietary variables, higher lycopene but not alpha- or beta-carotene adipose tissue levels were found to be protective against myocardial infarction risk in non-smokers (OR=0.52, P=0.005; OR=0.91, P=0.66; and OR=1.01, P=0.96; respectively). Also related to cardiovascular disease, mildly hypercholesterolemic men and women with grade-1 hypertension taking 15 mg/day of lycopene from tomato oleoresin antioxidant-rich tomato extract had significantly decreased systolic and diastolic blood pressure compared toplacebo.

Lycopene and Bone Health
Recently, lycopene research has begun to explore the potential for this antioxidant carotenoid to work against the onset of bone disease. Although not fully understood, there is evidence that oxidative stress caused by ROS is associated with the pathogenesis of osteoporosis. In a recent in vitro study of bone marrow prepared from rat femurs, it was demonstrated that lycopene, in the absence or presence of parathyroid hormone (PTH), inhibited osteoclastic mineral resorption and formation of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) positive multinucleated osteoclasts, as well as the ROS produced by osteoclasts.30 The authors suggested that this finding may be important in the pathogenesis, treatment and prevention of osteoporosis. Clinical studies are now being conducted to study the role of lycopene in osteoporosis. Researchers have studied the relationship between lycopene and bone resorption as measured by serum N-telopeptides of type I collagen (NTx) in postmenopausal women. They found higher lycopene intake and higher serum lycopene to be associated with lower bone resorption (p<0.005). Based on the results from this study, the researchers are now conducting a lycopene intervention study with postmenopausal females to evaluate the relationship between lycopene and the risk of osteoporosis. Lycopene and Male Infertility
An area of concern for many men is that of infertility. Infertile men genetically tend to produce higher levels of free radicals. Ongoing research in India is exploring this relationship and the influence of supplementing with lycopene. In one study of 50 volunteers with low active sperm counts, 35 volunteers (70%) experienced an improvement in sperm count, 30 (60%) had improved functional sperm concentrations, 27 (54%) had improved sperm motility, 23 (46%) had improved sperm motility index, and 19 (38%) had improved sperm morphology following consumption of 8 mg/day of lycopene supplementation from tomato oleoresin extract. Further studies are now being undertaken to confirm these preliminary observations and to gain further understanding into the role of lycopene in male infertility.