Alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) and beta-carotene supplementation does not affect the risk for large abdominal aortic aneurysm in a controlled trial.
Antioxidants may retard atherogenesis and limit inflammatory processes involved in aneurysm formation. We evaluated effects of alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene supplementation on incidence of large abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) in a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Subjects (n=29133) were 50-69-years-old male smokers, participants in the Finnish alpha-Tocopherol, beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention (ATBC) Study. They were randomised to receive either 50 mg/day of alpha-tocopherol, or 20 mg/day of beta-carotene, or both, or placebo in a 2x2 design. Incidence of AAA was evaluated from mortality and hospital registers. During 5.8 years of follow-up, 181 men were diagnosed with either ruptured AAA (n=77) or nonruptured large AAA treated with aneurysmectomy (n=104). Relative risk (RR) for AAA was 0.83 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.62-1.11) among men receiving alpha-tocopherol compared with those who did not, and 0.93 (95% CI 0.69-1.24) among men receiving beta-carotene compared with those who did not. A modest though nonsignificant decrease in risk for nonruptured AAA was observed among alpha-tocopherol supplemented men (RR 0.71, 95% CI 0.48-1.04) compared with men not receiving alpha-tocopherol. For beta-carotene, RR for nonruptured AAA was 0.86 (95% CI 0.59-1.27) compared with men not receiving beta-carotene. Neither antioxidant affected risk for ruptured AAA. In conclusion, long-term supplementation with alpha-tocopherol or beta-carotene had no preventive effect on large AAA among male smokers.
Törnwall
M E
ME
ATBC Study, Department of Nutrition, KTL (National Public Health Institute), Mannerheimintie 166, 00300 Helsinki, Finland. markareetta.tornwall@ktl.fi
Virtamo
J
J
Haukka
J K
JK
Albanes
D
D
Huttunen
J K
JK
D000368:Aged; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000209:etiology*; D004032:Diet; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000009:adverse effects; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012306:Risk; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects; D019207:beta Carotene / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects
D000975:Antioxidants; D019207:beta Carotene; D014810:Vitamin E