Plasma tocopherol levels in cardiac patients

1. 1. The average plasma tocopherol level in sixty-two patients with heart disease was 0.94 mg. per cent, a value which was significantly lower than the mean of 1.09 mg. per cent found in twenty-one healthy young adults. In addition, there was a greater incidence of very low levels among the cardiac patients. 2. 2. The plasma tocopherol level was determined in forty-two patients constituting a random sample of the hospital population, and an average value of 0.92 mg. per cent was obtained. This value was also signficantly lower than that in normal subjects, but was essentially the same as that found among cardiac patients. Furthermore, the incidence of low tocopherol levels was no greater in patients with heart disease than in hospital patients in general. In so far as plasma tocopherol levels are a measure of tocopherol nutrition, no evidence was found for differences between tocopherol nutrition in cardiac patients and that in other patients picked at random from the general hospital population. 3. 3. Tocopherol levels of patients in each of the four cardiac classes were essentially similar. No relationship was found between the tocopherol level and the severity of cardiac impairment. 4. 4. No correlation was found between the tocopherol level and sex or color, but there was a positive correlation between the tocopherol level and age.