Vitamin E improves arterial compliance in middle-aged men and women.
Diminished arterial compliance, or loss of elasticity in large arteries, is an emerging cardiovascular risk factor with a reversible component that includes improved endothelial function. Vitamin E, which may reduce cardiovascular risk, can lower vascular resistance. Twenty-eight middle-aged men and women were randomized through a double-blind design to 8 weeks of supplemental vitamin E (400 IU daily) or placebo. Compliance was determined non-invasively from simultaneous measurements of aortic flow and carotid pressure at baseline and after 4 and 8 weeks.


RESULTS
arterial compliance increased by 37% at 4 weeks and by 44% at 8 weeks (P = 0.01) only in the vitamin E group and was independent of an effect on arterial pressure. A rise was seen in 12/14 subjects. There was no significant change with placebo (+ 8%).


CONCLUSIONS
short-term vitamin E supplementation improves arterial compliance.
Mottram
P
P
Baker Medical Research Institute, Melbourne, Australia.
Shige
H
H
Nestel
P
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D004032:Diet; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D004548:Elasticity / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012016:Reference Values; D012307:Risk Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D014655:Vascular Resistance / Q000187:drug effects*; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
D008055:Lipids; D014810:Vitamin E