Ascorbic Acid Depletion in Patients Undergoing Chronic Hemodialysis

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Abstract
Ascorbic acid is removed from the plasma of patients undergoing hemodialysis. Patients with chronic renal disease who were not receiving vitamin C supplementation demonstrated a mean decline in plasma ascorbic acid of 40 ± 4% during hemodialysis, whereas the mean decline in patients receiving vitamin C supplements was 68 ± 4%. Removal of vitamin C from the plasma continued despite a marked decline in plasma ascorbate in nonsupplemented patients. Dietary histories revealed that ascorbic acid intake of the patients was 34 ± 4 mg/day. Since the ascorbic acid lost from the plasma during dialysis is not adequately replaced by dietary consumption of vitamin C, patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis should receive ascorbic acid supplementation as an important part of their therapeutic regimen.

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