Vitamins C and E May Protect Heart Transplant Patients

Vitamins C and E May Protect Heart Transplant Patients

BOSTON--Vitamins C and E may slow the progression of transplant-associated arteriosclerosis, according to a randomized trial printed in the March 30 issue of The Lancet (359, 9312:1108-13, 2002) (www.thelancet.com). Researchers from Brigham and Women's Hospital, led by James Fang, M.D., involved 40 patients up to two years after cardiac transplantation, which is known to exacerbate free radical stress and potentially accelerate the development of coronary arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.

Subjects were randomly assigned to either 500 mg of vitamin C plus 400 IU of vitamin E twice daily or placebo for one year. In addition, all patients were taking pravastatin (also thought to reduce hardening of the arteries). At baseline and one year, researchers measured the average intimal index (plaque area divided by vessel area), coronary vasoreactivity (a test to locate damaged blood vessels) and plasma concentrations of vitamins C and E. Findings indicated that vitamin concentrations were increased in the supplement group but were unchanged in the placebo group. Over the course of the year-long treatment, the intimal index increased by 8 percent in the placebo group but did not change in the treatment group. Coronary endothelial function remained stable in both groups. Researchers concluded that antioxidant vitamins C and E slowed the progression of transplant-associated coronary arteriosclerosis.

This study may potentially be applicable to general coronary patients, according to Fang. "Its applicability to other patient populations has to be done cautiously," he said. "Obviously, we're talking about a very special kind of patient--one who had a heart transplant. And in that kind of situation, our study is suggestive. Although there may be some relevance between our study and [the general population], it's probably overly optimistic to say this proves it would work in other patients without transplants."