title: Vitamin E in the prevention of cardiovascular disease: the importance of proper patient selection.
abstract: Vitamin E is a naturally occurring fat-soluble antioxidant which has been proposed as a treatment for both primary and secondary protection against cardiovascular (CV) events. Promising data from observational epidemiological studies associating higher vitamin E dietary intake with lower risk of CV events have not been validated in randomized controlled clinical trials assessing the effect of vitamin E on CV outcomes. While the pendulum of medical opinion has swung to suggest that high dose vitamin E supplements have no place in the treatment and prevention of CV disease, new data is emerging that allows identification of a specific target population for this treatment, namely patients with diabetes mellitus and the haptoglobin genotype 2-2. This review details the scientific basis and clinical evidence related to the effect of vitamin E on CV outcomes, and the importance of proper patient selection in gaining therapeutic benefit from this intervention.
authors.affiliation: Harvard Clinical Research Institute, Boston, MA, USA.
authors.forename: Moshe
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vardi
authors.forename: Nina S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D048909:Diabetes Complications / Q000235:genetics / Q000517:prevention & control; D006242:Haptoglobins / Q000235:genetics; D006801:Humans; D018579:Patient Selection; D057285:Precision Medicine; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D006242:Haptoglobins; D014810:Vitamin E
keywords: cardiovascular outcomes; diabetes mellitus; haptoglobin