To the Editor: We read with interest the recent letter by He and colleagues.1 The authors described a case of ischaemic stroke in a patient with scurvy and considered whether there was a connection between the two conditions. They referred to evidence that vitamin C deficiency may be a risk factor for cerebrovascular disease, but acknowledged that a direct causal link is unlikely to be established.
The full article is accessible to AMA members and paid subscribers. Login to read more or purchase a subscription now.
Please note: institutional and Research4Life access to the MJA is now provided through Wiley Online Library.
- Department of Metabolic Medicine, Mater Medical Research Institute, Brisbane, QLD.
Correspondence: jwhitehead@mmri.mater.org.au
- 1. He EY, Wang LW, Kiernan MC. Scurvy and stroke: is there an association? Med J Aust 2010; 193: 555-556. <MJA full text>
- 2. Whitehead JP, Richards AA, Hickman IJ, et al. Adiponectin — a key adipokine in the metabolic syndrome. Diabetes Obes Metab 2006; 8: 264-280.
- 3. Nishimura M, Izumiya Y, Higuchi A, et al. Adiponectin prevents cerebral ischemic injury through endothelial nitric oxide synthase dependent mechanisms. Circulation 2008; 117: 216-223.
- 4. Szmitko PE, Teoh H, Stewart DJ, Verma S. Adiponectin and cardiovascular disease: state of the art? Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 2007; 292: H1655-H1663.
- 5. Rose FJ, Webster J, Barry JB, et al. Synergistic effects of ascorbic acid and thiazolidinedione on secretion of high molecular weight adiponectin from human adipocytes. Diabetes Obes Metab 2010; 12: 1084-1089.
Online responses are no longer available. Please refer to our instructions for authors page for more information.