Positive Health Online

Abstract

SOLZBACH and colleagues, Medical Clinic, Department of Cardiology, University of Freiburg, Germany writes that there is evidence for increased formation of free radicals in hypertensive patients, suggesting that nitric oxide (NO) is inactivated by free radicals, impairing coronary endothelial function. The authors tested the hypothesis that antioxidant vitamin C could improve abnormal endothelial function of coronary arteries in patients with hypertension. @m:METHODS: Intravenous infusion of 3 g vitamin C was administered to 17 hypertensive patients without coronary artery stenoses and placebo to 5 patients. Endothelium-dependent vascular responses of the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) to acetylcholine were determined prior to and following intravenous infusion. @r: Vitamin C reduced vasoconstrictor response during acetylcholine and augmented flow-dependent vasodilation (FDD) but doppler flow velocity was not significantly affected. @c:CONCLUSIONS: Vitamin C improves endothelium-dependent vasomotor capacity of coronary arteries in patients with hypertension and patent coronary arteries. These results suggest that increased oxidative stress contributes to endothelial dysfunction in hypertensive patients.

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References

Solzbach U et al. Vitamin C improves endothelial dysfunction of epicardial coronary arteries in hypertensive patients. Circulation 96(5): 1513-9. Sep 2 1997.