Increased vitamin C intake was associated with decreased aortic calcification

1. Higher dietary vitamin C intake was correlated with a reduction in abdominal aortic calcification scores.

2. There was no association between vitamin C supplement intake and AAC score.

Evidence Rating Level: 2 (Good)

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) affects a large population worldwide. Vascular calcification is one of the main risk factors for CVD, with abdominal aortic calcification (AAC) occurring earlier than coronary artery calcification. Therefore, AAC scores have been thought to serve as a potential indicator for CVD incidence and mortality. Vitamin C has been implicated in CVD health given its anti-inflammatory effects but the relationship between vitamin C and AAC score has not been explored. This study aimed to explore the relationship between vitamin C and AAC.

This was a cross-sectional study that looked at 2297 US adults 40 years or older. Patients who were pregnant, or with missing data regarding blood pressure, body mass index, cholesterol level, and alcohol consumption were excluded. The primary exposure was dietary vitamin C consumption, which was estimated using 2 rounds of 24-hour interview dietary recall. The primary outcome was AAC, which was measured using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry of the lateral spine and calculated using a 24-point scale (Kauppila) and an 8-point scale (Schousboe). Multiple regression models were used to evaluate the association of dietary vitamin C intake with AAC.

The results demonstrated that higher dietary vitamin C intake was correlated with a reduction in AAC score. However, there was no significant correlation between vitamin C supplement intake with AAC. This study was limited by possible recall bias in the measurement of dietary vitamin C intake. Nonetheless, these results suggest a possible beneficial role of dietary vitamin C intake in CVD health, and further prospective studies should be performed.

Click to read the study in BMC Nutrition Journal

Image: PD

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