Abstract | SIGNIFICANCE: Despite continuous advances in the prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), critical issues associated with an unhealthy lifestyle remain an increasing cause of morbidity and mortality in industrialized countries. RECENT ADVANCES: A growing body of literature supports a specific role for vitamin C in a number of reactions that are associated with vascular function and control including, for example, nitric oxide bioavailability, lipid metabolism, and vascular integrity. CRITICAL ISSUES: A large body of epidemiological evidence supports a relationship between poor vitamin C status and increased risk of developing CVD, and the prevalence of deficiency continues to be around 10%-20% of the general Western population although this problem could easily and cheaply be solved by supplementation. However, large intervention studies using vitamin C have not found a beneficial effect of supplementation. This review outlines the proposed mechanism by which vitamin C deficiency worsens CVD progression. In addition, it discusses problems with the currently available literature, including the discrepancies between the large intervention studies and the experimental and epidemiological literature. FUTURE DIRECTIONS: Increased insights into vitamin C deficiency-mediated CVD progression will enable the design of future randomized controlled trials that are better suited to test the efficacy of vitamin C in disease prevention as well as the identification of high-risk individuals which could possibly benefit from supplementation.
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Authors | Pernille Tveden-Nyborg, Jens Lykkesfeldt |
Journal | Antioxidants & redox signaling
(Antioxid Redox Signal)
Vol. 19
Issue 17
Pg. 2084-104
(Dec 10 2013)
ISSN: 1557-7716 [Electronic] United States |
PMID | 23642093
(Publication Type: Journal Article, Review)
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Chemical References |
- Antioxidants
- Ascorbic Acid
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Topics |
- Animals
- Antioxidants
(therapeutic use)
- Ascorbic Acid
(therapeutic use)
- Ascorbic Acid Deficiency
(complications, pathology)
- Cardiovascular Diseases
(drug therapy, etiology, metabolism, pathology)
- Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2
(complications)
- Disease Progression
- Humans
- Life Style
- Obesity
(complications)
- Oxidation-Reduction
- Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
- Smoking
(adverse effects)
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