Gaziano J M
Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiology Research Information Center and the Department of Medicine, Veterans Affairs Medical Center, West Roxbury, MA 02132, USA.
Proc Assoc Am Physicians. 1999 Jan-Feb;111(1):2-9. doi: 10.1046/j.1525-1381.1999.09229.x.
The hypothesis that antioxidant vitamins might reduce cardiovascular disease risk is based on a large body of both basic and human epidemiological research. One of the most consistent findings in dietary research is that those who consume higher amounts of fruits and vegetables have lower rates of heart disease and stroke as well as cancer. Recent attention has focused on the antioxidant content of fruits and vegetables as a possible explanation for the apparent protective effects. Basic research provides a plausible mechanism by which antioxidants might reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. A large number of descriptive, case-control, and cohort studies provide data suggesting that consumption of antioxidant vitamins is associated with reduced risks of cardiovascular disease. These data raise the question of a possible role of antioxidants, such as vitamins C and E and beta-carotene, in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, but they do not provide a definitive answer. Randomized trial data will be essential in fully assessing whether or not there is a causal effect of antioxidants in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Results from several large-scale randomized trials of antioxidant supplements are now available, and additional trial data should be forthcoming in the near future, which will better define the role of antioxidants in the primary and secondary prevention of atherosclerotic disease. At this point, antioxidants represent a possible but as yet unproven means to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
抗氧化维生素可能降低心血管疾病风险这一假说，是基于大量基础研究和人类流行病学研究得出的。饮食研究中最一致的发现之一是，摄入较多水果和蔬菜的人患心脏病、中风以及癌症的几率较低。最近，人们将注意力集中在水果和蔬菜的抗氧化成分上，将其作为这种明显保护作用的一种可能解释。基础研究提供了一种合理的机制，通过该机制抗氧化剂可能降低动脉粥样硬化的风险。大量描述性研究、病例对照研究和队列研究提供的数据表明，摄入抗氧化维生素与降低心血管疾病风险有关。这些数据提出了抗氧化剂（如维生素C、维生素E和β-胡萝卜素）在心血管疾病一级预防中可能发挥的作用这一问题，但并未给出明确答案。随机试验数据对于全面评估抗氧化剂在降低心血管疾病风险方面是否存在因果效应至关重要。目前已有几项关于抗氧化剂补充剂的大规模随机试验结果，近期还会有更多试验数据，这将更好地明确抗氧化剂在动脉粥样硬化疾病一级和二级预防中的作用。目前，抗氧化剂是一种可能但尚未得到证实的降低心血管疾病风险的方法。
