HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 90/5/1252    most recent ajcn.2008.27016v1 Purchase Article View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Related articles in AJCN Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Google Scholar Articles by Schleicher, R. L Articles by Lacher, D. A PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Schleicher, R. L Articles by Lacher, D. A Agricola Articles by Schleicher, R. L Articles by Lacher, D. A

Serum vitamin C and the prevalence of vitamin C deficiency in the United States: 2003–2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES)^1,2

¹ From the Division of Laboratory Sciences, National Center for Environmental Health (RLS), the Division of Health Examination Statistics, National Center for Health Statistics (MDC and DAL), and the Division of Adult and Community Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (ESF), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, GA.

² Address correspondence to RL Schleicher, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 4770 Buford Highway, MS F55, Atlanta, GA 30341. E-mail: rschleicher{at}cdc.gov.

Background: Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) may be the most important water-soluble antioxidant in human plasma. In the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES III, 1988–1994), 13% of the US population was vitamin C deficient (serum concentrations <11.4 µmol/L).

Objective: The aim was to determine the most current distribution of serum vitamin C concentrations in the United States and the prevalence of deficiency in selected subgroups.

Design: Serum concentrations of total vitamin C were measured in 7277 noninstitutionalized civilians aged 6 y during the cross-sectional, nationally representative NHANES 2003–2004. The prevalence of deficiency was compared with results from NHANES III.

Results: The overall age-adjusted mean from the square-root transformed (SM) concentration was 51.4 µmol/L (95% CI: 48.4, 54.6). The highest concentrations were found in children and older persons. Within each race-ethnic group, women had higher concentrations than did men (P < 0.05). Mean concentrations of adult smokers were one-third lower than those of nonsmokers (SM: 35.2 compared with 50.7 µmol/L and 38.6 compared with 58.0 µmol/L in men and women, respectively). The overall prevalence (±SE) of age-adjusted vitamin C deficiency was 7.1 ± 0.9%. Mean vitamin C concentrations increased (P < 0.05) and the prevalence of vitamin C deficiency decreased (P < 0.01) with increasing socioeconomic status. Recent vitamin C supplement use or adequate dietary intake decreased the risk of vitamin C deficiency (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: In NHANES 2003–2004, vitamin C status improved, and the prevalence of vitamin C deficiency was significantly lower than that during NHANES III, but smokers and low-income persons were among those at increased risk of deficiency.

Related articles in AJCN:

Vitamin C: working on the x-axis

Mark Levine and Peter Eck
AJCN 2009 90: 1121-1123. [Full Text]  

This article has been cited by other articles:

				M. Levine and P. Eck Vitamin C: working on the x-axis Am. J. Clinical Nutrition, November 1, 2009; 90(5): 1121 - 1123. [Full Text] [PDF]