Vitamin C, Antioxidant Status, and Cardiovascular Aging

Ashor, AW; Siervo, M; Mathers, JC

doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-801816-3.00043-1

Vitamin C, Antioxidant Status, and Cardiovascular Aging

Lookup NU author(s): Ammar Ashor, Dr Mario Siervo, Professor John Mathers

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Abstract

© 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. The aging process is characterized by a progressive decline of cellular integrity and function resulting from the structural modification of macromolecules including formation of oxidized lipid species, advanced glycated products, nitrosylated proteins, and DNA mutations and epimutations. Lifestyle factors, including nutrition, which modulate the aging trajectory must do so because they modulate the accumulation of such macromolecular damage. Cardiovascular diseases are the most common cause of death among older people in the Western World and their burden is increasing globally. Therefore, the development of effective strategies to attenuate aging of the vascular system could make a substantial contribution to lowering CVD risk and improving the quality of life of older people. Vitamin C plays an important role in vascular health but the benefits of supplementation with vitamin C remain controversial. Current evidence suggests that there are unlikely to be population-wide benefits on cardiovascular health of vitamin C supplementation in older people. It seems more likely that those population groups with low vitamin C status, because of inadequate vitamin C intake or for genotypic reasons, or with high levels of oxidative damage may benefit from extra vitamin C intake. This opens the way for more effective public health interventions to enhance vitamin C status which use a personalized (or stratified) approach.