A cross-sectional study of vitamin C intake and blood pressure in the elderly

Data collected as part of a study designed to examine the nutritional status of non-institutionalized elderly individuals, ages 60-100 years, residing in the Boston area were used to investigate the relationship between blood pressure (BP) and vitamin C intake reported by three-day diet records. Four hundred and ten subjects not taking antihypertensive medications were grouped into 5 categories of vitamin C intake: < 60, 60-119, 120-179, 180-239, > or = 240 mg/day. Relative differences in systolic and diastolic BP between subjects consuming > or = 240 mg/day compared to those consuming < 60 mg/day were -6.9% (p < 0.05) and -6.6% (p < 0.05), respectively. The prevalence of elevated BP (systolic > or = 160 mmHg or diastolic > or = 100 mmHg) was approximately 50% lower (p < 0.05) across this range of vitamin C intake. Adjustment of these associations for age, sex, body mass, smoking, dietary sodium:potassium ratio, and other dietary factors did little to alter the relationship between vitamin C and BP. These results lend support to the hypothesis that vitamin C and BP are related, but further research is required to test whether the relationship is causal.