Antioxidant vitamin pool in senior population

To compare plasma concentration of alpha-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.

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.

Concentration of alpha-tocopherol in DM group was 14.6 +/- 5.3 microM, in AMI group 13.7 +/- 5.6 microM, in LD group 15.9 +/- 5.6 microM and in control group 12.9 +/- 4.1 microM. No statistically significant differences were found. However, comparison of determined values with levels recommended for prevention revealed remarkable low plasma concentration of alpha-tocopherol in the Czech population. Plasma concentration of ascorbic acid in DM group was 47.07 +/- 22.80 microM, in AMI group 33.15 +/- 12.81 microM, in LD group 45.59 +/- 23.02 microM and in control group 43.28 +/- 26.57 microM. 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.

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