Vitamin C, high density lipoproteins and heart disease in elderly subjects.

Plasma vitamin C, total and high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and cortisol levels were measured in a random sample of 337 elderly subjects living at home in S. Wales; measurements of relative body weight and information about fruit intake, smoking habits and symptoms of cardiovascular disease were also collected. There was a sex difference, over all age groups, in plasma vitamin C and in total HDL cholesterol levels. Plasma vitamin C was strongly correlated with fruit intake in both sexes. Both HDL cholesterol and low and very density lipoprotein (LDL + VLDL) cholesterol levels tended to increase with increasing plasma vitamin C but this reached significance only for the LDL + VLDL fraction. In addition, HDL cholesterol was negatively correlated with Quetelet's index in the women. Symptoms and medication for heart disease did not correlate significantly with plasma vitamin C or with HDL cholesterol levels, but reported angina showed a weak positive association with total cholesterol in the men, and there was some evidence of increased cortisol levels in subjects with heart disease.