BackgroundCurrent evidence on the relationship between carotenoids and chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients are limited and controversial. MethodsData were obtained from the Nutrition and Health Examination Survey (NHANES) database and the NHANES Linked Mortality File, both from a nationally representative sample. Dietary intake was assessed through 24-h dietary recall, and information was available both on dietary and serum alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lycopene, and lutein/zeaxanthin (combined) through the NHANES cycles used. We used multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression models to estimate the risk for all-cause mortality associated with carotene intakes and serum levels, adjusting for potential confounding factors. ResultsOf the 6,095 CKD participants, 1,924 subjects died (mean follow-up time, 8.1 years). After eliminating all the confounding factors, we found that high levels of total carotene (HR = 0.85, 95% CI, 0.75-0.97, P = 0.011) intakes at baseline were significantly associated with a lower risk of death. And the serum concentrations of carotenoid were also showing that a-carotene (HR = 0.77, 95%CI, 0.65-0.92, P = 0.002), beta-cryptoxanthin (HR = 0.83, 95%CI, 0.70-0.98, P = 0.019), lycopene (HR = 0.77, 95% CI, 0.65-0.91, P = 0.002), and lutein + zeaxanthin (HR = 0.82, 95% CI, 0.70-0.96, P = 0.002) was significantly associated with decreased all-cause mortality of CKD patients. The associations remained similar in the sensitivity analyses. ConclusionFindings suggest that high-level carotene dietary intake and the serum concentration were associated with a lower risk of mortality in the CKD population.