Acute autonomic effects of vitamins and fats in male smokers

• Published in: European journal of clinical nutrition Vol. 63; no. 2; pp. 246 - 252
• Main Authors: Wright, C.I, Ruediger, H, Kroner, C.I, Janssen, B.J.A, Draijer, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Nature Publishing Group UK 01-02-2009; Nature Publishing Group
• Subjects: acute effects; Adult; Antioxidants; Antioxidants - pharmacology; Ascorbic acid; Ascorbic Acid - pharmacology; autonomic nervous system; Autonomic Nervous System - drug effects; Baroreceptors; Baroreflex - drug effects; Biological and medical sciences; Blood pressure; Blood Pressure - drug effects; cardioprotective effect; Cardiovascular system; Clinical Nutrition; Cream; Cross-Over Studies; Dietary fat; Dietary Fats - pharmacology; Dietary supplements; Epidemiology; Feeding. Feeding behavior; Folic acid; Folic Acid - pharmacology; Food and nutrition; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Health aspects; Heart rate; Heart Rate - drug effects; Heart Rate - physiology; Humans; Ingestion; Internal Medicine; Male; Males; Medical sciences; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; men; Mens health; Metabolic Diseases; Milk; nutrition physiology; Nutrition research; nutritional intervention; Oils & fats; original-article; Oxidative stress; Physiological aspects; Placebos; Public Health; Reflexes; Smokers; Smoking; smoking (habit); Smoking - adverse effects; Spectral analysis; Spectrum analysis; Tobacco, tobacco smoking; Toxicology; Vagus nerve; Variance analysis; Vertebrates: anatomy and physiology, studies on body, several organs or systems; Vitamin B; Vitamin C; Vitamin E - pharmacology; Vitamins; Vitamins - blood; Vitamins - pharmacology; Netherlands; baroreflex sensitivity; blood-pressure variability; heart-rate variability; spectral analysis; Acute; Variability; Tobacco smoking; Vitamin; Metabolic diseases; Spectral analysis; Heart rate; Sensitivity; Fat; Arterial pressure; Blood pressure; Hemodynamics
• ISSN: 0954-3007; 1476-5640
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602912

Background/Objectives: Vitamins can help improve cardiovascular control. In contrast, smoking works in the opposite fashion, reducing the baroreflex control of heart rate (HR) possibly via oxidative stress. High-fat challenges also impair cardiovascular regulation. Whether vitamins have acute beneficial effects on the baroreflex control of HR in smokers is unclear. Subjects/Methods: A randomized, placebo-controlled crossover study in 30 male smokers (34.2 +/- 6.9 years). Interventions were: (1) moderate (vitamin C (300 mg) and E (75 IU) and folic acid (1 mg)); (2) high doses of vitamins (vitamin C (2 g) and E (800 IU), and folic acid (5 mg)); or, (3) placebo. Vitamins were ingested with cream (a high-fat challenge) or milk (low-fat control). Four hours later, blood was withdrawn and radial pulse wave forms recorded via tonometry. Spontaneous beat-to-beat variations in HR and systolic blood pressure (SBP) were analysed by spectral analysis techniques and sympathovagal control of HR and baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) were assessed. Results: High doses of vitamins increased plasma vitamin C, E and folic acid levels (P<0.05) with no change in SBP, HR or BRS (P>0.05, analysis of variance). Plasma vitamin levels did not correlate with any cardiovascular parameters. Moderate vitamins increased the vagal control of HR (+23%; P<0.05) and cream led to small increases (P<0.05) in SBP (+2 mm Hg) and HR (+2 beats min-1) with no change in BRS. Conclusions: In male smokers, circulating antioxidants had no effect on BRS and minor effects on the cardiovascular system were seen following acute fat and vitamin ingestion.