Objective
To determine the effect of ascorbic acid and alpha-tocopherol on oxidative stress and bone mineral density (BMD) in elderly
people.
Design
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.
Measurements
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.
Key words Ascorbic acid - alpha-tocopherol - bone loss - osteoporosis - oxidative stress