title: Improvement of early functional atherosclerotic changes in males with hypercholesterolemia after vitamin E supplementation.
abstract: Vitamin E as an antioxidant vitamin reduces the susceptibility of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol to oxidation and may have antiatherosclerotic effects. We tested the hypothesis that six months of 400 mg vitamin E supplementation favourably affects early functional changes in atherosclerotic process in subjects with hypercholesterolemia. The diameter of the brachial artery at rest, after reactive hyperemia (representing endothelium -dependent vasodilatation) and after sublingual glyceryl -trinitrate (representing endothelium - independent vasodilatation), were determined by ultrasonographic method (B mode) before and after the intervention period. After the intervention period the brachial endothelium - dependent vasodilatation increased significantly in the vitamin E group while it did not change in the placebo group. In conclusion, six months of oral vitamin E supplementation results in improvement of the endothelium - dependent vasodilatation in men with hypercholesterolemia.
authors.affiliation: Lek Pharmaceutical and Chemical Company d.d., Ljubljana, Slovenia, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Alenka
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Borovničar
authors.affiliation: University Medical Centre, Department of Angiology, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Irena
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Keber
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Rebro, Institute of Laboratory Diagnostic, Zagreb, Croatia, Croatia.
authors.forename: Ana Stavljenić
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Rukavina
authors.affiliation: Institute of Biomedical Informatic, Medical Faculty, Ljubljana, Slovenia, Slovenia.
authors.forename: Lijana Zaletel
authors.initials: LZ
authors.lastname: Kragelj
keywords: Key words antioxidant; atherosclerosis; endothelium-dependent vasodilatation; hypercholesterolemia; vitamin E