Vitamin C & congestive heart failure - Shorts - Brief Article

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients,  August-Sept, 2002  by Jule Klotter

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A "Health Note" in Dr. Robert Jay Rowen's newsletter Second Opinion (December 2001) concerns a study by Stefanie Dimmeler, PhD and colleagues. This study, published in the American Heart Association's journal Circulation (October 30, 2001), found that vitamin C reduces the amount of endothelial cell apoptosis (programmed cell death). Endothelial cells line the interior wail of blood vessels, and blood capillaries are made up entirely of endothelial cells. Since oxidative stress apparently incites apoptosis, Dr. Dimmeler and colleagues decided to try slowing the destruction of the endothelial cells in the blood vessels and capillaries by giving congestive heart patients vitamin C. The researchers found that vitamin C (amount unspecified in the newsletter article) reduced the blood levels of microparticles that indicate endothelial cell death by 32%. A placebo had no effect.

Rowen, Dr. Robert Jay. Vitamin C Proves Beneficial in Congestive Heart Failure. Second Opinion 2001 December; p.1.

COPYRIGHT 2002 The Townsend Letter Group
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