Well, the procedure has changed. The 2,000 patient study2 showed a 75 percent reduction in heart attacks in patients taking vitamin E compared to the placebo group. The researchers say that the findings explain some of the heart benefits of mediterranean-type diets.
Further studies are ongoing.
Reuter, March 22, 1996. A report published by the American Heart Association3 describes a study of the effects of vitamin C and blood vessel function. Researchers used ultrasound to examine the ability of the brachial artery to open, allowing a higher volume of blood to pass. In patients with coronary artery disease, this artery dilation was a very sluggish two percent. However, two hours after administration of 2,000 mg of generic vitamin C, the vessels opened up an average of nearly 10 percent, very close to the amount seen in persons with no history of cardiovascular disease.