Previous studies suggest that high levels of vitamin C are linked with a lowered risk of heart disease. However, it's unclear if this relationship is independent of systemic inflammation. Inflammation is associated with many chronic diseases, including heart disease, obesity, and aging. C-reactive protein (CRP) is an amino acid that, when elevated in the blood, is a biomarker for inflammation. Now research reports that higher plasma vitamin C levels are associated with a lower risk of heart disease independent of CRP levels.
The study, published in British Journal of Nutrition, investigated whether vitamin C levels are associated with heart disease and if the relationship was independent of risk factors and CRP levels. Researchers at Cambridge University in England, analyzed the data of 25,663 men and women aged 45 to 79 residing in Norfolk, England, as part of the EPIC-Norfolk cohort study. The participants were followed for up to ten years. Health questionnaires and blood samples analyzed for cholesterol, C-reactive protein, and vitamin C were obtained from the participants.
Researchers found that 979 participants developed fatal or nonfatal heart disease. Findings revealed that participants with the highest vitamin C levels had a 33 percent lower risk of developing heart disease, compared to those in the lowest levels. This association was independent of CRP levels and risk factors such as age, diabetes, smoking, cholesterol, and blood pressure.
"These data suggest that the risk reduction associated with higher ascorbic acid plasma concentrations, a marker of fruit and vegetable intake, is independent of classical risk factors and also independent of CRP concentration," the study authors conclude.
REFERENCES:
1. Boekholdt SM et al. Plasma concentrations of ascorbic acid and C-reactive protein, and risk of future coronary artery disease, in apparently healthy men and women: the EPIC-Norfolk prospective population study. Br J Nutr 2006 Sep;96(3):516-22.
Posted by Elaine Gavalas on December 13, 2006 03:01 PM
