Correlation between chronic hypovitaminosis C in old age and plasma levels of cholesterol and triglycerides.

The possible interrelations between ascorbic acid, cholesterol and plasma triglycerides were studied in the residents of an old people's home. The study lasted about five months, from autumn to spring, and concerned 100 people in good health, both males and females, whose age varied from 70 to 84. Old people's diets proved well balanced and varied to such an extent as to supply them with a satisfying amount of calories and vitamin C. The results of this study showed that the average plasma levels of ascorbic acid [1] approached the lower level of normal values (587 +/- 34 micrograms %), [2] depended on sex (in fact it was significantly lower in males) (p less than 0.01), and [3] depended on diets which varied according to the different seasons when drawings were made (p less than 0.01). Moreover, in all cases there was a significantly negative correlation between ascorbic acid and cholesterol (p less than 0.05), whereas no significant correlation seemed to exist between ascorbic acid and triglycerides. On the contrary, a significant positive correlation between cholesterol and triglycerides was observed (p less than 0.01). The above-mentioned correlations seem to be valid only for males. This study confirmed by partial 3 variant correlations, produced results that point out the risk of hypercholesterolemia connected with chronic hypovitaminosis C, a characteristic feature of old age.