Increased risk of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus at low plasma vitamin E concentrations: a four year follow up study in men.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate whether low vitamin E status is a risk factor for incident non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.


METHODS
Population based follow up study with diabetes assessed at baseline and at four years.


METHODS
Eastern Finland.


METHODS
Random sample of 944 men aged 42-60 who had no diabetes at the baseline examination.


METHODS
Oral glucose tolerance test at four year follow up.


METHODS
A man was defined diabetic if he had either (a) a fasting blood glucose concentration > or = 6.7 mmol/l, or (b) a blood glucose concentration > or = 10.0 mmol/l two hours after a glucose load, or (c) a clinical diagnosis of diabetes with either dietary, oral, or insulin treatment.


RESULTS
45 men developed diabetes during the follow up period. In a multivariate logistic regression model including the strongest predictors of diabetes, a low lipid standardised plasma vitamin E (below median) concentration was associated with a 3.9-fold (95% confidence interval 1.8-fold to 8.6-fold) risk of incident diabetes. A decrement of 1 mumol/l of uncategorised unstandardised vitamin E concentration was associated with an increment of 22% in the risk of diabetes when allowing for the strongest other risk factors as well as serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations.


CONCLUSIONS
There was a strong independent association between low vitamin E status before follow up and an excess risk of diabetes at four years. This supports the theory that free radical stress has a role in the causation of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.
Salonen
J T
JT
Research Institute of Public Health, University of Kuopio, Finland.
Nyyssönen
K
K
Tuomainen
T P
TP
Mäenpää
P H
PH
Korpela
H
H
Kaplan
G A
GA
Lynch
J
J
Helmrich
S P
SP
Salonen
R
R
D000328:Adult; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D012307:Risk Factors; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood*; D014811:Vitamin E Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications*
D014810:Vitamin E