Apolipoproteins and vitamin C intake in healthy Saudi adults

ABSTRACT

Vitamin C has been shown to he an effective therapy for reducing total serum cholesterol, but recent studies have determined that low-density lipoprotein cholesterol [LDL-C] and high density lipoprotein cholesterol [HDL-C] as well as their apolipoprotein Apo B and Apo A-1 respectively are actually better predictive measures of coronary heart disease risk, therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between vitamin C intakes and the serum concentration of vitamin C, LDL-C, HDL-C, triglycerides, Apo B and Apo A. 1 in healthy Saudi subjects. The results show that vitamin C intake had a significant positive association with serum concentrations of vitamin C, HDL-C and Apo A-1, but an inverse association with serum concentrations of LDL-C, Apo B and triglyceride, after adjusting for age, body mass index and gender. Vitamin C intake was inversely related to the mean LDL/HDL and triglyceridef HDL ratios. So it is concluded that increase vitamin C intake could play an important role in lipoprotein concentrations as well as their apolipoproteins and could play a potential role in the prevention of atherogenic disease in healthy Saudi men