When healthy mice were given vitamin C, longevity was not prolonged. The researchers observed that vitamin C had an impact on only premature aging disorders caused by a defect in the Werner gene.
The researchers now plan to determine if vitamin C can have similar benefits on humans with the Werner syndrome who are at risk for diabetes, stroke, cancer and heart disease. If so vitamin C could possibly be a treatment for these individuals.
As a final note:
Before you buy your year’s supply of vitamin C -- Vitamin C is not a substitute for treatment of diabetes, hypertension, cancer or stroke. Werner syndrome is estimated to affect 1 in 200,000 individuals in the United States. This syndrome is more common in Japan where it occurs 5 times more frequently than in the USA. Werner syndrome presents with premature aging disease that begins in adulthood and results in appearance of old age by 30-40 years of age. The typical features are short stature, wrinkled skin, baldness, cataracts, muscular atrophy and a tendency to diabetes mellitus. Vitamin C or any other health supplement in these patients has made no difference in outcome.
Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology Journal, 2010