The DOI matches its Crossref record; 34 of the 34 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.
Vitamin C and Heart Health: A Review Based on Findings from Epidemiologic Studies
Open accessAbstract
Vitamin C is a powerful dietary antioxidant that has received considerable attention in the literature related to its possible role in heart health. Although classical vitamin C deficiency, marked by scurvy, is rare in most parts of the world, some research has shown variable heart disease risks depending on plasma vitamin C concentration, even within the normal range. Furthermore, other studies have suggested possible heart-related benefits to vitamin C taken in doses beyond the minimal amounts required to prevent classically defined deficiency. The objective of this review is to systematically review the findings of existing epidemiologic research on vitamin C and its potential role in cardiovascular disease (CVD). It is well established that vitamin C inhibits oxidation of LDL-protein, thereby reducing atherosclerosis, but the cardiovascular outcomes related to this action and other actions of vitamin C are not fully understood. Randomized controlled trials as well as observational cohort studies have investigated this topic with varying results. Vitamin C has been linked in some work to improvements in lipid profiles, arterial stiffness, and endothelial function. However, other studies have failed to confirm these results, and observational cohort studies are varied in their findings on the vitamin’s effect on CVD risk and mortality. Overall, current research suggests that vitamin C deficiency is associated with a higher risk of mortality from CVD and that vitamin C may slightly improve endothelial function and lipid profiles in some groups, especially those with low plasma vitamin C levels. However, the current literature provides little support for the widespread use of vitamin C supplementation to reduce CVD risk or mortality.
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“However, this relationship seems to be valid only for inadequate plasma levels.”
From Vitamin C-Sources, Physiological Role, Kinetics, Deficiency, Use, Toxicity, and Determination (2021) · cites this paper as [189]
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“In adequate vitamin C plasma levels, supplementation with vitamin C has a little effect [2,5,189].”
From Vitamin C-Sources, Physiological Role, Kinetics, Deficiency, Use, Toxicity, and Determination (2021) · cites this paper as [189]
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“Higher levels of plasma vitamin C are correlated with a lower risk of coronary artery disease and mortality in terms of cardiovascular diseases.”
From Vitamin C-Sources, Physiological Role, Kinetics, Deficiency, Use, Toxicity, and Determination (2021) · cites this paper as [189]
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Cites
Vitamin E Consumption and the Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in Men
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Dietary Reference Intakes for Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, and Carotenoids
Compounds, P. O. D. A. A. R., Nutrients, S. O. U. R. L. O., Intakes, S. O. I. A. U. O. D. R., Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes, Food and Nutrition Board, & Institute of Medicine (2000) · doi:10.17226/9810 · Cited by 2,034
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The Effect of Fruit and Vegetable Intake on Risk for Coronary Heart Disease
Joshipura, K. J., Hu, F. B., Manson, J. E., Stampfer, M. J., Rimm, E. B., Speizer, F. E., Colditz, G., Ascherio, A., Rosner, B., Spiegelman, D., et al. (2001) · Annals of Internal Medicine · doi:10.7326/0003-4819-134-12-200106190-00010 · Cited by 1,396
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Waters, D. D., Alderman, E. L., Hsia, J. A., Howard, B. V., Cobb, F. R., Rogers, W. J., Ouyang, P., Thompson, P. D., Tardif, J., Higginson, L., et al. (2002) · JAMA · doi:10.1001/jama.288.19.2432 · Cited by 580
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Cited by
Sorted by citations
Antioxidant and Oxidative Stress: A Mutual Interplay in Age-Related Diseases
Tan, B. L., Norhaizan, M. E., Liew, W.-P.-P., & Rahman, H. S. (2018) · Frontiers in Pharmacology · doi:10.3389/fphar.2018.01162 · Cited by 1,221
Medicinal prospects of antioxidants: A review
Neha, K., Haider, M. R., Pathak, A., & Yar, M. S. (2019) · European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry · doi:10.1016/j.ejmech.2019.06.010 · Cited by 748
Vitamin C-Sources, Physiological Role, Kinetics, Deficiency, Use, Toxicity, and Determination
Doseděl, M., Jirkovský, E., Macáková, K., Krčmová, L., Javorská, L., Pourová, J., Mercolini, L., Remião, F., Nováková, L., Mladěnka, P., et al. (2021) · Nutrients · doi:10.3390/nu13020615 · Cited by 553
Dietary vitamin C in human health
Granger, M., & Eck, P. (2018) · Advances in food and nutrition research · doi:10.1016/bs.afnr.2017.11.006 · Cited by 217
Targeting epigenetics and non-coding RNAs in atherosclerosis: from mechanisms to therapeutics
Xu, S., Kamato, D., Little, P. J., Nakagawa, S., Pelisek, J., & Jin, Z. G. (2018) · Pharmacology & Therapeutics · doi:10.1016/j.pharmthera.2018.11.003 · Cited by 178
Metadata
- Authors
- Moser, M., & Chun, O.
- Affiliations
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269, USA
- University of Connecticut (US)
- Corresponding author
- Chun, Ock
- Venue
- International Journal of Molecular Sciences
- Publisher
- MDPI AG
- Published
- 2016-08-12
- Volume
- 17
- Issue
- 8
- Pages
- 1328
- ISSN
- 1422-0067 (ISSN-L)
- PMC
- PMC5000725
- OpenAlex
- W2517706500
- Cited by
- 222
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2026: 6 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 24 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 38 · 2020: 32 · 2019: 22 · 2018: 21 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 3
- FWCI
- 2.55
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- gold
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- International Journal of Molecular Sciences (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Nursing › Nutrition and Dietetics › Vitamin C and Antioxidants Research
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Biochemistry (medical) › Antioxidant Activity and Oxidative Stress
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health › Nutritional Studies and Diet
- Keywords
- vitamin C, cardiovascular disease, scurvy, plasma vitamin C concentration, LDL oxidation, atherosclerosis, endothelial function, arterial stiffness, lipid profile, cardiovascular mortality, vitamin C supplementation
- MeSH terms
- Antioxidants, Ascorbic Acid, Cardiovascular Diseases, Humans, Oxidation-Reduction, Epidemiologic Studies, Dietary Supplements
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