Vitamin C May Aid In COPD/Pneumonia Prognosis

During exacerbation, vitamin C is markedly decreased in inflammatory diseases, such as acute pneumonia and COPD, according to a new study. Serbian researchers compared the values of serum ascorbate concentration and laboratory inflammation indicators in 60 nonsmoking patients. The patients were split into three groups: 20 patients with acute pneumonia (group I), 20 patients with stable COPD (group II), and 20 patients with exacerbated COPD (group III). Researchers concluded that patients in groups I and III had significantly decreased levels of vitamin C and increased inflammation before therapy, compared with patients after therapy. It is suggested that the elevation of vitamin C in serum is a good prognostic parameter for disease evaluation.



###



CHEST 2006 abstract briefs



Contact: Jennifer Stawarz


American College of Chest Physicians