Vitamin C and E roles in heart transplants

Coronary arteriosclerosis, a condition whereby the tissues in the arteries harden prevents the long-term survival of heart transplant patients. New findings had disclosed that taking Vitamins C and E might help to improve this situation.

Forty patients, who underwent heart transplant were part of a study conducted at the Brigham and Womens Hospital in Boston. These patients were randomly assigned to receive vitamins C and E two times a day for one year or a placebo. They were then assessed one year later.

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During the assessment, ultrasonography was used to determine the amount of buildup in their arteries. The doctors specifically looked at the amount of plaque area as compared to the amount of vessel area.

At the end of this one-year study, the patients were tested for levels of vitamin C and E. It was found the amount of plaque in the arteries of the placebo group increased, but the amount of plaque in the vitamin group remained constant.

This concluded that antioxidant therapy, that is, the taking of vitamins could help heart transplant patients. This therapy might also be beneficial for other transplant patients such as kidney, lung and liver.

However, further research would be necessary to assess the long-term effects of consuming vitamins C and E for these patients.

SOURCE: The Lancet, 2002;359:1108-1113