1. Six-year effect of combined vitamin C and E supplementation on atherosclerotic progression: the Antioxidant Supplementation in Atherosclerosis Prevention (ASAP) Study.
- Author
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Salonen RM, Nyyssönen K, Kaikkonen J, Porkkala-Sarataho E, Voutilainen S, Rissanen TH, Tuomainen TP, Valkonen VP, Ristonmaa U, Lakka HM, Vanharanta M, Salonen JT, and Poulsen HE
- Subjects
- Aged, Antioxidants adverse effects, Arteriosclerosis blood, Arteriosclerosis diagnostic imaging, Ascorbic Acid adverse effects, Ascorbic Acid blood, Carotid Artery Diseases blood, Carotid Artery Diseases diagnostic imaging, Carotid Artery, Common diagnostic imaging, Cholesterol, HDL blood, Delayed-Action Preparations, Dietary Supplements, Disease Progression, Drug Therapy, Combination, F2-Isoprostanes blood, Female, Humans, Hypercholesterolemia drug therapy, Male, Middle Aged, Patient Compliance, Time Factors, Ultrasonography, Vitamin E adverse effects, Vitamin E blood, Antioxidants therapeutic use, Arteriosclerosis prevention & control, Ascorbic Acid therapeutic use, Carotid Artery Diseases prevention & control, Vitamin E therapeutic use
- Abstract
Background: Self-selected supplementation of vitamin E has been associated with reduced coronary events and atherosclerotic progression, but the evidence from clinical trials is controversial. In the first 3 years of the ASAP trial, the supplementation with 136 IU of vitamin E plus 250 mg of slow-release vitamin C twice daily slowed down the progression of carotid atherosclerosis in men but not women. This article examines the 6-year effect of supplementation on common carotid artery (CCA) intima-media thickness (IMT)., Methods and Results: The subjects were 520 smoking and nonsmoking men and postmenopausal women aged 45 to 69 years with serum cholesterol > or =5.0 mmol/L (193 mg/dL), 440 (84.6%) of whom completed the study. Atherosclerotic progression was assessed ultrasonographically. In covariance analysis in both sexes, supplementation reduced the main study outcome, the slope of mean CCA-IMT, by 26% (95% CI, 5 to 46, P=0.014), in men by 33% (95% CI, 4 to 62, P=0.024) and in women by 14% (not significant). In both sexes combined, the average annual increase of the mean CCA-IMT was 0.014 mm in the unsupplemented and 0.010 mm in the supplemented group (25% treatment effect, 95% CI, 2 to 49, P=0.034). In men, this treatment effect was 37% (95 CI, 4 to 69, P=0.028). The effect was larger in subjects with either low baseline plasma vitamin C levels or CCA plaques. Vitamin E had no effect on HDL cholesterol., Conclusions: These data replicate our 3-year findings confirming that the supplementation with combination of vitamin E and slow-release vitamin C slows down atherosclerotic progression in hypercholesterolemic persons.
- Published
- 2003
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