title: Low vitamin E status is a potential risk factor for insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.
abstract: 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.
authors: National Public Health Institute, Helsinki, Finland.
authors: P
authors: P
authors: Knekt
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Reunanen
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Marniemi
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Leino
authors: A
authors: A
authors: Aromaa
mesh_terms: 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*
chemical_list: D014810:Vitamin E