Supplementation of ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol is useful to preventing bone loss linked to oxidative stress in elderly.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol on oxidative stress and bone mineral density (BMD) in elderly people.


METHODS
A double-blind, controlled clinical assay was carried out in a sample of 90 elderly subjects divided into three age-paired random groups with 30 subjects in each group. Group Tx0 received placebo, group Tx1 received 500 mg of ascorbic acid and 400 IU of alpha-tocopherol, whereas group Tx2 received 1,000 mg of ascorbic acid and 400 IU of alpha-tocopherol, for a 12-month period.


METHODS
We measured thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS), total antioxidant status (TAS), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and glutation peroxidase (GPx); BMD was obtained on DXA of hip and spine before and after the 12-month treatment period with supplementation of vitamins C and E.


RESULTS
We found a positive correlation between hip-BMD and SOD (r = 0.298, p < 0.05) and GPx (r = 0.214, p < 0.05). Also, a significantly lower decrease of LPO (p < 0.05) was observed as linked with hip bone loss in the Tx2 group than in the Tx0 group.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings suggest that that administration of 1,000 mg of ascorbic acid together with 400 IU of alpha-tocopherol could be useful in preventing or aiding in the treatment of age-related osteoporosis.
Ruiz-Ramos
M
M
Unidad de Investigación en Gerontología, Facultad de Estudios Superiores Zaragoza, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, México DF, México.
Vargas
L Alberto
LA
Fortoul Van der Goes
T I
TI
Cervantes-Sandoval
A
A
Mendoza-Nunez
V M
VM
D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001205:Ascorbic Acid / Q000494:pharmacology*; D015519:Bone Density / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000187:drug effects*; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000097:blood; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances / Q000378:metabolism; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol / Q000494:pharmacology*
D000975:Antioxidants; D017392:Thiobarbituric Acid Reactive Substances; D005979:Glutathione Peroxidase; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase; D024502:alpha-Tocopherol; D001205:Ascorbic Acid