Vitamin C Supplementation Intervention

Vitamin C Supplementation Intervention for Patients With Heart Failure-A Pilot Study

This study is to test a low-cost, simple vitamin C supplementation intervention, that is, comparing placebo to 500 mg/day vitamin C and 1 gram/day vitamin C daily to assess feasibility and acceptability of vitamin C supplementation and effects on serum vitamin C level, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), symptom burden, oxidative stress, and cardiac function.

This study will address feasibility from the perspective of being able to: a) to detect significant differences in the serum vitamin C level after supplementation (3 months) between the intervention groups and the control group, b) to detect significant differences in health related quality of life (HRQOL), symptom burden, oxidative stress, and cardiac function after vitamin C supplementation (3 months) between the intervention groups and the control group.

Inclusion Criteria:

Patents recruited will have a diagnosis of chronic HF, either preserved or reduced ejection fraction. The diagnosis and etiology of chronic HF will be confirmed by a HF cardiologist using established criteria.

Other criteria:

• have undergone evaluation of HF and optimization of medical therapy,
• vitamin C supplementation <500 mg/day
• have not been referred for heart transplantation,
• able to read and speak English,
• >1 month from any inpatient hospitalization

Exclusion Criteria:

• history of renal stones or renal disease (serum creatinine >1.5,
• history of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase deficiency (G6PD) and cognitive impairment that precludes giving informed consent or ability to follow protocol instructions
• pregnant