molecules Review The Effect of Vitamin Supplementation on Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Patients without Manifest Cardiovascular Diseases: Never-ending Hope or Underestimated Effect? Ovidiu Mitu 1,2,* , Ioana Alexandra Cirneala 1,*, Andrada Ioana Lupsan 3, Mircea Iurciuc 4 , 5 5 2, Ivona Mitu , Daniela Cristina Dimitriu , Alexandru Dan Costache y , Antoniu Octavian Petris 1,2 and Irina Iuliana Costache 1,2 1 Department of Cardiology, Clinical Emergency Hospital “Sf. Spiridon”, 700111 Iasi, Romania 2 1st Medical Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Grigore T. Popa”, 700115 Iasi, Romania 3 Department of Cardiology, University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology, 540139 Targu Mures, Romania 4 Department of Cardiology, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Victor Babes”, 300041 Timisoara, Romania 5 2nd Morpho-Functional Department, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Grigore T. Popa”, 700115 Iasi, Romania * Correspondence:
[email protected] (O.M.);
[email protected] (I.A.C.); Tel.: +40-745-279-714 (O.M.) Medical Student, University of Medicine and Pharmacy “Grigore T. Popa”, 700115 Iasi, Romania. y Academic Editors: Raluca Maria Pop, Ada Popolo and Stefan Cristian Vesa Received: 25 March 2020; Accepted: 7 April 2020; Published: 9 April 2020 Abstract: Micronutrients, especially vitamins, play an important role in the evolution of cardiovascular diseases (CVD). It has been speculated that additional intake of vitamins may reduce the CVD burden by acting on the inflammatory and oxidative response starting from early stages of atherosclerosis, when the vascular impairment might still be reversible or, at least, slowed down. The current review assesses the role of major vitamins on subclinical atherosclerosis process and the potential clinical implications in patients without CVD.