Preeclampsia May Be Treatable with Vitamin C

Preeclampsia May Be Treatable with Vitamin C

LONDON--For a condition that is affecting more pregnant women, vitamin C may be the answer. In a study published in the March 28 Journal of the American Medical Association (285:1607-12, 2001), researchers found that ascorbic acid administration may reverse endothelial dysfunction related topreeclampsia. In research conducted at three hospitals between July 1997 and June 2000 onpost-partum women, the study's authors investigated 113 women with a history of preeclampsia and an additional 48 women without the condition (the control group). In this case-controlled study, brachial artery flow was compared between the two groups. In addition, researchers administered one gram of ascorbic acid intravenously in 15 preeclampsia cases and 15 controls. The study's authors, led by John Chambers from the National Heart and Lung Institute, noted that ascorbic acid improved endothelial function in previously preeclamptic women, although controls (who had normal endothelial function) did not experience an improvement. For more on this study, visithttp://jama.ama-assn.org.