Vitamin C, Omega 3 fatty acids cut death risk from cardiovascular disease
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By David Liu, Ph.D. and editing by Denise Reynolds
Saturday May 21, 2011 (foodconsumer.org) -- A new study led by Japanese researchers suggests high intake of vitamin C may help women reduce death risk from cardiovascular disease.
The study, published in the April 21, 2011 issue of Stroke, showed women who had the highest intake of vitamin C were less likely to die from stroke, coronary heart disease, and total cardiovascular disease.
Researcher Y. Kubota and colleagues of Osaka University followed 23,119 men and 35,611 women aged 40 to 79 years who were not diagnosed with cardiovascular disease or cancer at baseline to investigate the association between intake of vitamin C, A and E, and death risk from cardiovascular disease.
During the 16.5-year follow-up, the researchers identified 2,690 deaths from cardiovascular disease including 1,227 from stroke and 557 from coronary heart disease.
Women who had their vitamin C intake in the highest quintile were 30 percent, 37 percent and 21 percent less likely to suffer total stroke, coronary heart disease and total cardiovascular disease, respectively, compared with those having their intake in the lowest quintile.
The association in men was not statistically significant.
Intake of vitamins A and E was not correlated with death risk in men or women.
The researchers concluded vitamin C intake was inversely associated with death risk from cardiovascular disease in Japanese women.
Many dietary factors may affect the risk of cardiovascular disease. Fish and omega-3 fatty acids are something food consumers may use to reduce their risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.
Japanese scientists K. Tamagishi and colleagues from University of Tsukuba in Japan reported in the Sept 16, 2008 issue of Journal of American College of Cardiology that intake of fish and omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids was inversely associated with cardiovascular mortality, particularly heart failure mortality.
The study of 57,972 Japanese men and women who were followed for 12.7 years showed the highest quintile of fish intake and omega-3 PUFA intake was linked to 24 percent and 42 percent reduction in mortality risk from heart failure, respectively, compared with those with the lowest quintile of intake.
The highest intake of fish and omega-3 fatty acids was also linked to an 18 to 19 percent reduced risk of total cardiovascular disease, compared with the lowest intake.
However, consumption of fish and omega-3 fatty acids was not correlated with risk of ischemic heart disease or myocardial infarction or total stroke.
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