Therapy with vitamin C may help heart failure patients by improving the function of their blood vessels.

Congestive heart failure occurs when the heart cannot pump efficiently enough to meet the body's needs, resulting in symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath. Heart failure usually results from an underlying heart condition such as coronary artery disease.

German and French researchers found that the vitamin appeared to keep cells in the blood vessel wall from dying. They say this protection from cell death could explain previous study findings suggesting that vitamin C benefits blood vessel function in people with congestive heart failure.

Heart failure patients also show poor function in the blood vessel walls, and research suggests that damaging forms of oxygen called reactive oxygen species accumulate in the blood as the condition progresses. This oxidative stress may contribute to dysfunction in the blood vessel wall -- called the endothelium -- by killing off endothelial cells.

Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which means it helps remove cell-damaging oxygen compounds from the body.

Investigators gave 34 patients either vitamin treatment or an inactive placebo. Treated patients first received an intravenous dose of vitamin C, followed by 3 days of oral supplements. All were on standard drug treatment for heart failure.

Before treating the patients, the researchers had found in experiments that exposing endothelial cells to vitamin C kept certain inflammatory proteins from pushing the cells to "commit suicide" -- a process called apoptosis.

Similarly, when they examined blood samples from the patients, they found that those who received vitamin C showed far less evidence of apoptosis in endothelial cells than they had before treatment. Placebo patients showed no such change.

Circulation October 30, 2001;104

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

This is not surprising information and consistent with the other documented benefits of vitamin C. However, please understand that it in this instance vitamin C is being used more like a drug or a band-aid. Vitamin C is clearly less expensive and far less toxic than medications for heart failure, but ultimately it is not going to cure the problem. Ideally one would have taken the natural form of vitamin C that is in fresh vegetables. One needs fresh non-processed vegetables and some fruits to obtain vitamin C. I advise most adults to eat everyday one pound of vegetables for every 50 pounds of body weight. I believe vegetable juicing is the key to increasing one's intake of vegetables. I have been juicing for over two years now and usually consume 1-2 pounds of vegetables for breakfast. It is simple and easy to do and really starts one's day off on the right foot. Related Articles: Vitamin C For Peripheral Artery Disease Vitamin C Reduces Risk of Death Vitamin C Improves Blood Vessels Patients With Coronary Artery Disease Last Interview With Dr. Pauling