Vitamins May Reduce Children's Heart Disease Risk

Scientists from the University of California and in Austria, studied 15 youngsters, age 9 to 20, who had high cholesterol levels. The researchers gave one group of subjects 400 IU of vitamin E plus 500 mg of C for six weeks and the other group a placebo.

Since stiffening of the arteries is an early sign of atherosclerosis, the scientists measured blood flow of the brachial artery to determine what effect, if any, the vitamins had on arterial elasticity. Taking the supplements was associated with significant improvements in blood vessel function, leading the scientists to conclude that the vitamins may prevent, and even reverse, arterial damage. Based on these results, the researchers speculate that the supplements protect the endothelium (blood vessel lining) by blocking free radicals, allowing the lining to release nitric oxide which causes the arteries to expand.

Circulation 2003 Sep 2;108(9):1059-63