Plasma vitamin C, but not vitamin E, is associated with reduced risk of heart failure in older men.

Background: Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis of heart failure (HF). However, data on the association between antioxidant intakes and circulating levels and risk of incident HF in the older general population are limited. We have examined prospectively the associations between plasma vitamin C and E, dietary intakes of vitamin C and E, and incident HF.