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Vitamin Supplementation Lowers C-Reactive Protein Levels
Dallas TX, 16 December 2003

A study published this month in The American Journal of Medicine states that an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, C-reactive protein (CRP), can be reduced by simply consuming a multivitamin. The study, led by Timothy Church, MD, MPH, PhD, vice president of research at The Cooper Institute, showed that a group taking a 24-ingredient multivitamin reduced its CRP level by 32 percent. The greatest reductions in CRP were found in individuals with elevated baseline values.

CRP has been identified as an important predictor of future heart disease, but there has been limited proven therapeutic means to reduce CRP. Though in need of confirmation by other studies, the finding that a multivitamin improves CRP provides a low cost, safe and widely acceptable option for reducing CRP.

"While there is still a lot to be understood about C-reactive protein and its relationship with heart disease," said Church, "it is reaffirming to know that taking a multivitamin could significantly improve an important cardiovascular disease risk factor."

The study was a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial conducted over six months using the multivitamin supplement Cooper Complete, a formulation developed by Kenneth H. Cooper, MD, MPH, and leading researchers. Sixty-seven percent of the study population was male and due to fluctuating levels of CRP during the menstrual cycle, the remaining 33 percent was composed of postmenopausal women. The individuals ranged in age from 30 to 70.

About the Study

Timothy S. Church, MD, MPH, PhD; Conrad P. Earnest, PhD; Kherrin A. Wood, MS; and James B. Kampert, PhD. "Reduction of C-Reactive Protein Levels Through Use of a Multivitamin." Elsevier: The American Journal of Medicine, Volume 115, Number 9.

About the Cooper Institute

The Cooper Institute is the nonprofit division of The Cooper Aerobics Center and focuses on preventive medicine research and health education, promotion and certification. Areas of research include epidemiology, exercise physiology, behavior change, cancer prevention, children's health, obesity, nutrition, aging, diabetes, hypertension, weight management, health communication and other health issues. Certification and training courses are delivered to more than 6,500 health and fitness professionals each year.

Source

The Cooper Institute (www.cooperinst.org).end-of-story

 

   
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