Vitamin C May Reduce Heart Attack Risk.

Moderate daily supplements of vitamin C taken by people with coronary artery disease may be effective in improving the function of blood vessels, preventing the chest pains of unstable angina pectoris, and reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke, according to studies by scientists from the Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University, Corvallis, and Boston (Mass.)University School of Medicine. Researchers found that patients with a healthy level of vitamin C in their bloodstream--which was provided in one study by a daily 500-milligram supplement--had blood vessels with significantly improved vasodilation, the ability to relax and avoid dangerous constriction. Similar findings were made with one prescription drug.

In tracing the biological underpinnings of heart disease, Basil Frei, director of the Pauling Institute, indicates, scientists are honing in on the ability of a naturally produced compound in the body--nitric oxide--that helps relax blood vessels, inhibits the aggregation of platelets and the formation of blood clots, and decreases the risk of plaque rupture, all of which are relevant to having a heart attack or stroke. Studies suggest that nitric oxide can be...