Hypocholesterolemic effect of ascorbic acid in maturity-onset diabetes mellitus.

A significantly lower vitamin C concentration has been found in the blood and particularly in the leukocytes of hypercholesterolemic diabetic patients than of healthy blood donors. Ascorbic acid administered in a dose of 500 mg per day for 12 months to metabolically stabilized hypercholesterolemic subjects with maturity-onset diabetes mellitus (diabetic diet without insulin or diabetic drugs) brought about a striking decline of cholesterolemia and a moderate decline of triglyceridemia. The serum lipid level in the control group given placebo remained unaltered.