Vitamin use and atherosclerotic heart disease mortality: a matched case-control study in Maryland

ABSTRACT

The effect of any vitamin use was assessed in 175 subjects who died of atherosclerotic heart disease [ASHD] and 350 age and sex matched controls recruited from Washington county, Maryland, between May through November 1989. Vitamin use was inversely associated with the risk of death from ASHD [crude relative odds 0.83 [95% C.I. 0.53 to 1.29; p = 0.413]]. After adjustment for multiple cardiovascular risk factors using conditional logistic regression, the protective effect of vitamins in lowering the risk of ASHD was enhanced, [adjusted relative odds 0.61 [95% C.l. 0.37 to 0.99 p= 0.047]]. Other significant risk factors for ASHD were current cigarette smoking [adjusted relative odds 2.63 [95% C.l. 1.46 to 4.7; p = 0.001]], taking two or more medications concurrently [other than antihypertensive and antihyperlipidemic drugs] [adjusted relative odds 2.28 [95% C.l. 1.46 to 3.55; p= 0.001]] and being on antihypertensive treatment [adjusted relative odds 1.63 [95% C.l. 1.06 to 2.49; p = 0.025]]. Systolic and diastolic blood pressure, blood cholesterol, education and body mass index were found not to be significantly associated with ASHD after adjusting for current treatment for hypertension, current cigarette smoking and taking more than two medications