The Health Diva

Support for the role of vitamin E in heart disease prevention has come from observational studies, particularly 2 cohort studies which were published in 1993. In the 1st study, the Nurses’ Health Study, the researchers concluded that among 83,234 middle-aged women who participated in the study, there was a 40% reduced risk of coronary artery disease for those who took vitamin E supplements compared to those who did not (New England Journal of Medicine 1993;328: 1444-9). The 2nd study, the Health Professionals Follow-up Study, involved over 39,000 males and showed evidence of a significant association between a high intake of vitamin E from supplements and a lower risk of heart disease (New England Journal of Medicine 1993; 328:1450-1456).

Researchers are fairly certain that oxidative modification of LDL-cholesterol (“bad” cholesterol) promotes blockages in coronary arteries which may lead to atherosclerosis and heart attacks. Vitamin E may help prevent or delay coronary heart disease by limiting the oxidation of LDL-cholesterol. A 1994 review of 5,133 Finnish men and women aged 30 – 69 suggested that increased dietary intake of vitamin E was associated with decreased mortality from heart disease [1].

The results of at least 5 large observational studies suggest that increased vitamin E consumption is associated with a decreased risk of myocardial infarction (heart attack) in both women and men. Each study was a prospective study that measured vitamin E consumption in presumably healthy people and followed them for several years to determine how many of them were diagnosed with, or died as a result of heart disease.

Two other large studies [1,2] found a significant reduction in the risk of heart disease only in those men and women who consumed alpha-tocopherol supplements of at least 100 IU daily, with the greatest benefit observed at an intake of 800 IU daily [3].

While 100 IU or more of supplemental vitamin E per day has been shown to reduce the risk of heart attacks in healthy individuals, those with pre-existing coronary artery disease often take 800 to 1200 IU/day based on the pioneering work of the Shute brothers in the mid 1940s.