title: Should we recommend the therapeutical use of vitamin E in diabetic patients?
abstract: The therapeutic application of vitamin E was initially restricted to thrombocytopenic purpura and later extended to coronary artery diseases and peripheral vascular arteriosclerosis due to the potency of its effects. Several recent studies have pointed out that vitamin E supplementation is useful for reducing low-density lipoprotein oxidation and thus might be protective towards coronary heart disease. Such data has been confirmed in many in vitro data, while in vivo results of reports from epidemiological studies are much more controversial. More consistent is the evidence showing vitamin E to improve endothelial function especially in diabetic patients. Finally, chronic vitamin E has been demonstrated to improve the metabolic control in diabetic patients. Whether chronic vitamin E administration at pharmacological doses and for long time, is safe is still debated. A sure response to such a query will open the possibility for recommending vitamin E as a therapeutic agent in diabetic patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatric Medicine and Metabolic Diseases, IV Medicina Interna e Malattie dell'Invecchiamento, II University of Naples, Piazza Miraglia 2, I-80138 Naples, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Paolisso
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Barbieri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Rosaria Rizzo
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Manzella