EFFECT OF A 2-YEAR SUPPLEMENTATION WITH LOW-DOSES OF ANTIOXIDANT VITAMINS AND OR MINERALS IN ELDERLY SUBJECTS ON LEVELS OF NUTRIENTS AND ANTIOXIDANT DEFENSE PARAMETERS/

Background: Eighty-one elderly hospitalized subjects (>65 years) were recruited fora double-blind placebo-controlled study to examine low do se supplementation of antioxidant vitamins and minerals on biological and functional parameters of free radical metabolism. Subjects were ra ndomly assigned to one of the four treatment groups, daily receiving f or 2 years: placebo group; mineral group: 20 mg zinc, 100 mu g seleniu m; vitamin group: 120 mg vitamin C (Vit C), 6 mg beta-carotene (beta C A), 15 mg vitamin E (Vit E); mineral and vitamin group: Zn 20 mg, Se 1 00 mu g, Vit C 120 mg, beta CA 6 mg, Vit E 15 mg. Results: Fifty-seven subjects completed the study. A large frequency of Vit C, Zn and Se d eficiencies were observed at baseline. As early as 6 months of treatme nt, a significant increase in vitamin and mineral serum levels was obs erved in the corresponding groups. The increases ranged from 1.1-4.0 f old depending on the nutrient. Antioxidant defense, studied in vitro w ith a test using red blood cells in presence of 2,2'-azo-bis (2-amidin opropane) hydrochloride, showed an increase of cell resistance in pati ents receiving vitamins (p = 0.002); it was positively correlated with serum Vit C (p < 0.0001), alpha-tocopherol/cholesterol (p = 0.06), be ta CA (p = 0.0014), serum Cu and Se (p < 0.05). Moreover, red blood ce ll antioxidant defense was reduced in elderly compared with young cont rol subjects (50% hemolysis time: 69 +/- 14 mn and 109 +/- 12 mn, resp ectively). Erythrocyte glutathione peroxidase activity was enhanced in groups receiving minerals, whereas no significant change was observed for other indicators of oxidative stress (erythrocyte superoxide dism utase activity, thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances, total glutath ione, reduced and oxidized forms). Discussion: Our results provide exp erimental evidence that a low dose supplementation with vitamins and m inerals was able to normalize biological nutrient status as early as 6 months of treatment. In addition, our data indicate that antioxidant defense in elderly subjects was improved with low doses of vit C, vit E and beta CA as studied by means of a functional test utilizing red b lood cells challenged in vitro with free radicals.