Low vitamin E status is a potential risk factor for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
OBJECTIVE
To study the association of vitamin E status with occurrence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM).


METHODS
A case-control study nested within a 21-year follow-up study.


METHODS
Nineteen incident IDDM patients with an average age of 28 years and three individually matched controls per patient.


METHODS
Serum concentrations of alpha-tocopherol.


RESULTS
Serum alpha-tocopherol concentration at the baseline examination was inversely associated with IDDM occurring 4-14 years later. The cholesterol-adjusted relative risk of IDDM between the highest and lowest thirds of the vitamin concentration was 0.12 (95% confidence interval = 0.02-0.85).


CONCLUSIONS
The finding corroborates the hypothesis of a protective effect of vitamin E against development of IDDM. Because of the relatively old age of the patients in the present population, further epidemiological studies on the topic are warranted.
Knekt
P
P
National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
Reunanen
A
A
Marniemi
J
J
Leino
A
A
Aromaa
A
A
D000328:Adult; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012307:Risk Factors; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000097:blood*
D014810:Vitamin E