Cystic fibrosis patients who supplement their diet with vitamin C can also derive greater benefit from another antioxidant, vitamin E, resulting in a reduction in damaging inflammation, a study led by Oregon State University suggests.
The findings, published in the journal Nutrients, are important because more than 160,000 people worldwide suffer from cystic fibrosis, which is characterized by lung inflammation and airway-blocking mucous buildup.
The life-shortening condition is associated with persistent lung infection and afflicts 40,000 people in the United States. About 1,000 new cases are diagnosed in the U.S. every year, most in patients age 2 or younger.
Despite steady advances in alleviating complications, the median life expectancy of cystic fibrosis patients is still just 40 years.
“Cystic fibrosis is a genetic disease that is associated with increased inflammation, and…
