oa Selected Abstracts From Other Journals

Background: It has been suggested that an oxidative mechanism is involved with the impaired endothelium-dependent vasodilatation that occurs after a high-fat meal.

Hypothesis: The study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of a single oral dose of vitamin C (2g) on postprandially impaired endothelium dependent vasodilatation in patients with coronary heart disease (CHD).

Methods: This study included 74 patients with CHD and 50 subjects without CHD with risk factors. The two groups were divided into two subgroups that did or did not receive 2g of vitamin C (CHD/VitC and CHD/control, n=37; non-CHD/VitC and non-CHD/control, n=25) after a high-fat meal (800 calories, 50g fat). Serum levels of triglyceride, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and high-density liporotein cholesterol in the fasting state and at 2,4,5 and 7 h after the high-fat meal were measured. Endothelial function was assessed in the brachial artery by high-resolution ultrasound at baseline and at 4h postprandially.