Vitamin E Supports Heart Health in Older Women
Breaking News 7/26/05
By
VRP Staff
The largest ever trial on vitamin E supplementation shows that although the vitamin does not prevent heart disease or cancer, it does appear to reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in older women. In addition, the vitamin also appears to reduce cardiovascular death in older women.
The study, which included 39,876 female subjects, confirmed earlier research showing that the vitamin does not prevent heart disease or cancer. However, those women taking high dose natural alpha-tocopherol supplements who were over the age of 65 did have a significantly lower risk of death and also a much lower risk of heart attacks and strokes.
Among the nearly 20,000 women who consumed 600 IU of natural vitamin E supplements every other day, there was a 24 percent reduction in cardiovascular deaths compared to the nearly 20,000 women taking a placebo. Natural vitamin E supplements had an even greater positive effect in women 65 and over, who experienced a 49 percent reduction in cardiovascular death compared to the placebo group. Women in this age group who consumed vitamin E reduced their risk of heart attack by 34 percent.
The authors suggested that the decreased cardiovascular deaths, not observed in other studies, could be “due to chance” and they acknowledged that this finding “should be explored further.”
The Harvard Medical School researchers who conducted the study reported in the July 6 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association, that there were few adverse effects during the 10-year study, the longest trial period for vitamin E supplements to date. There were no differences between reported adverse effects among women taking vitamin E or placebo, except for a small increase in the risk of epistaxis (nosebleeds).
In this study, there was no significant effect of vitamin E on total mortality. This finding contradicts a recent meta-analysis that reviewed studies of people already ill with cancer, heart disease or other serious medical conditions and found them to be at a much higher risk of death when taking vitamin E supplements.
Reference:
Lee IM, Cook NR, Gaziano JM, Gordon D, Ridker PM, Manson JE, Hennekens CH, Buring JE. Vitamin E in the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease and cancer: the Women"s Health Study: a randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2005 Jul 6;294(1):56-65.
Newsletter Archive
Learn about the role of vitamins and nutritional supplements in your health by reading
past newsletter articles.