Effect of supplemental vitamin E for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease

J Gen Intern Med. 2004 Apr;19(4):380-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1525-1497.2004.30090.x.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate and synthesize the evidence on the effect of supplements of vitamin E on the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Design: Systematic review of placebo-controlled randomized controlled trials; meta-analysis where justified.

Measurements and main results: Eighty-four eligible trials were identified. For the outcomes of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction, and blood lipids, neither supplements of vitamin E alone nor vitamin E given with other agents yielded a statistically significant beneficial or adverse pooled relative risk (for example, pooled relative risk of vitamin E alone = 0.96 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.84 to 1.10]; 0.97 [95% CI, 0.80 to 1.90]; and 0.72 [95% CI, 0.51 to 1.02] for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and nonfatal myocardial infarction, respectively.

Conclusions: There is good evidence that vitamin E supplementation does not beneficially or adversely affect cardiovascular outcomes.

Publication types

  • Meta-Analysis
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Review
  • Systematic Review

MeSH terms

  • Cardiovascular Diseases / blood
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / mortality
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / prevention & control*
  • Cause of Death
  • Dietary Supplements*
  • Evidence-Based Medicine
  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3 / therapeutic use
  • Humans
  • Lipids / blood
  • Myocardial Infarction / mortality
  • Myocardial Infarction / prevention & control
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Survival Analysis
  • Vitamin E / therapeutic use*

Substances

  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3
  • Lipids
  • Vitamin E