Associations of vitamin c status, fruit and vegetable intakes, and markers of inflammation and hemostasis.

Auteur(s) :
Whincup PH., Wannamethee SG., Rumley A., Lowe GD., Bruckdorfer KR.
Date :
Mai, 2006
Source(s) :
AMERICAN JOURNAL OF CLINICAL NUTRITION. #83:3 p567-74
Adresse :
Department of Primary Care and Population Sciences, Royal Free and University College Medical School, London, United Kingdom. [email protected]

Sommaire de l'article

BACKGROUND: It has been suggested that a high dietary intake and high circulating concentrations of vitamin C may protect against ischemic heart disease. OBJECTIVES: The objective was to examine the associations between dietary and plasma vitamin C concentrations, fruit and vegetable intakes, and markers of inflammation and hemostasis associated with cardiovascular disease in older men free of cardiovascular disease. DESIGN: This cross-sectional study examined 3258 men aged 60-79 y with no physician diagnosis of myocardial infarction, stroke, or diabetes and who were drawn from general practices in 24 British towns. Fruit and vegetable intakes and dietary vitamin C were assessed by using a food-frequency questionnaire. RESULTS: Plasma vitamin C, fruit intake, and dietary vitamin C intake were significantly and inversely associated with mean concentrations of C-reactive protein, an acute phase reactant, and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) antigen, a marker of endothelial dysfunction, even after adjustment for confounders. Vegetable intake was correlated significantly (inversely) only with t-PA. For plasma vitamin C (highest versus lowest quartile), the adjusted odds of elevated C-reactive protein and t-PA (highest tertile versus lowest tertile) were 0.56 (95% CI: 0.44, 0.71) and 0.79 (0.62, 1.00); for fruit intake, the corresponding odds ratios were 0.76 (0.60, 0.95) and 0.76 (0.61, 0.95). Plasma (but not dietary) vitamin C also showed inverse associations with both fibrinogen concentrations and blood viscosity. No associations were seen with von Willebrand factor or factor VIII. CONCLUSION: The findings suggest that vitamin C has antiinflammatory effects and is associated with lower endothelial dysfunction in men with no history of cardiovascular disease or diabetes.

Source : Pubmed
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