Background: People of South Asian origin living in the UK have higher death rates due to coronary heart disease than whites. The reasons for these differences are not fully understood. Previous attempts to relate diet to cardiovascular risk in South Asians have been inconclusive.
Methods: We compared the levels of plasma vitamin C in a cross-sectional population-based study of 1018 men and women aged 40-59 (455 men, 563 women, 328 South Asians, 355 of African descent, 335 whites) co-resident in a geographically defined area of South London, when allowing for potential confounders.
Results: Fasting plasma vitamin C levels were significantly higher in women, vegetarians, supplement takers and non-smokers. After adjustment for age, body mass index, current smoking, supplement use and vegetarianism the mean plasma vitamin C levels were 38.8 (SE 1.6) mumol/l in white men, 36.5 (1.6) mumol/l in men of African descent and 32.9 (1.5) mumol/l in South Asian men (P = 0.033 by analysis of co-variance). In women the adjusted mean plasma vitamin C levels were 52.4 (1.6) mumol/l in whites, 46.0 (1.4) mumol/l in women of African descent and 37.3 (1.8) mumol/l in South Asians (P < 0.0001 by analysis of covariance). South Asians had lower levels than whites in both men (difference 6.4 [95% CI: 1.5, 11.3] mumol/l) and women (16.8 [95% CI: 11.5, 22.1] mumol/l). South Asian women, but not men, also had lower levels than those of African descent (8.8 [95% CI: 4.5, 13.1] mumol/l). African women, but not men, had lower levels than white women (6.6 [95% CI: 2.3, 10.9] mumol/l). No significant differences were seen between Caribbeans and West Africans or between South Asian Hindus and Muslims.
Conclusions: These data suggest that important dietary differences in vitamin C exist between different ethnic groups living in England. The larger differences in South Asians may contribute to their increased coronary risk.