Cent Eur J Public Health 2004, 12(Supplement):S64-S66

Antioxidant Vitamin Pool in Senior Population

Mužáková V.¹, Roušar T.¹, Vojtíšek P.², Skalický J.³

¹ Department of Biological and Biochemical Sciences, Faculty of Chemical Technology, University of Pardubice

² Department of Cardiology, Hospital of Pardubice, Pardubice

³ Department of Clinical Biochemistry, Hospital of Pardubice, Pardubice, Czech Republic

Aim: To compare plasma concentration of α-tocopherol and ascorbic acid in healthy seniors (age over 65 years), senior patients with either diabetes mellitus, acute myocardial infarction or dyslipidemia and recommended values of these vitamins.

Methods: Studied groups included 30 patients with diabetes mellitus (DM); 30 patients 1 - 2 weeks after acute myocardial infarction (AMI); 11 patients with lipid metabolism disorder (LD, total cholesterol > 6.2 mM); and control group of 27 healthy persons.

Results: Concentration of α-tocopherol in DM group was 14.6 ± 5.3 µM, in AMI group 13.7 ± 5.6 µM, in LD group 15.9 ± 5.6 µM and in control group 12.9 ± 4.1 µM. No statistically significant differences were found. However, comparison of determined values with levels recommended for prevention revealed remarkable low plasma concentration of α-tocopherol in the Czech population. Plasma concentration of ascorbic acid in DM group was 47.07 ± 22.80 µM, in AMI group 33.15 ± 12.81 µM, in LD group 45.59 ± 23.02 µM and in control group 43.28 ± 26.57 µM. No statistically significant differences were found between the controls and individual groups of patients. Plasma concentrations of vitamin C reached the recommended value in all cases except the AMI group, where it was significantly lower.

Conclusion: Seniors in the Czech population were proved to be significantly short of α-tocopherol, minor shortage of vitamin C was found only in group of patients with myocardial infarction.

Keywords: vitamin E, vitamin C, antioxidants, seniors

Published: March 1, 2004  Show citation