Recent Discoveries

Three new vitamin C discoveries

1. Vitamin C treatment improves endothelial function in patients with coronary artery disease. This effect is seen two hours after a single 2 gram dose and continues to be present after 30 days of treatment (500 mg). The results raise the possibility that patients with coronary artery disease would benefit from taking vitamin C. However, additional studies and longer term studies are needed before making such a recommendation. The results of this study will be published in the journal Circulation later this year.

2. Patients with a recent heart attack or unstable angina have lower vitamin C levels in their blood compared to patients with stable coronary artery disease. This finding is another piece of the puzzle. It suggests that vitamin C could be beneficial, but we cannot conclude that everyone with coronary artery disease should be taking this vitamin. These results were published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology in 1998.

3. Taking vitamin C (500 mg/day) for one month lowers blood pressure by 10 to 15 mmHg in patients with hypertension. The exact reason for this effect is under investigation. Further studies are needed to determine whether the benefit is sustained with longer threatment.

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