The Correlation between Vitamin C Intake and Plasma High-Sensitive C-reactive Protein Concentration

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: There are several reports that vitamin C is one of antioxidants and can be used to protect cardiovascular diseases. Inflammation plays a major role in atherosclerosis, and the measurement of inflammatory markers such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs- CRP) may provide methods for risk prediction and reveal independent risk factors of cardiovascular diseases. The purpose of our study was to assess the correlation between vitamin C intake and plasma hs-CRP concentration. METHODS: The study subjects consisted of 2,012 individuals who underwent periodic health examination in a university hospital in Busan from June 2002 to January 2003. The subjects were questioned concerning their past medical history, alcohol intake, smoking status, physical activity. Body mass index, abdominal circumference, blood pressure, fasting glucose, lipid profile, general blood test, and hs-CRP were measured. The exclusive responsible dietitian evaluated the average calorie intake and vitamin C intake by food frequency questionnaire. To quantify the correlation between vitamin C intake and plasma hs-CRP concentration, Pearson correlation coefficient and Spearman correlation coefficient were presented. RESULTS: The vitamin C index (r=-0.051, P<0.05) and the vitamin C intake per calorie intake (r=-0.075, P<0.01) showed a significant correlation with the plasma hs-CRP level. The vitamin C intake and the vitamin C intake per calorie intake were significantly correlated with the plasma hs-CRP level after adjusting for sex, age, body mass index and smoking status. CONCLUSION: These findings suggest that there was a significant correlation between the vitamin C intake and the hs-CRP concentration. Therefore, inflammatory status is higher in a person who takes small amount of vitamin C than a person who takes it plentifully. The former is presumed to have a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases thereafter.