Despite recent reports that high-dose vitamin E is associated with a higher overall risk of dying, at least one group stands to benefit greatly. About 40% of diabetic patients can reduce their risk of heart attacks and of dying from heart disease by taking vitamin E supplements, according to a study published in the November 2004 issue of Diabetes Care.

The research team, led by Dr Andrew Levy, had earlier demonstrated that diabetics with a particular form of a blood protein called haptoglobin had as much as a 500% increased risk of developing heart disease. The new study shows that when these at-risk patients took 400 IU of vitamin E daily, they reduced their risk of heart attack by 43%, and their risk of dying of heart disease by 55%.

About 40% of diabetics have the 2-2 form of haptoglobin; the rest have the 1 -1 or 2-1 forms. When these other groups took the same vitamin E supplements, they did not show any significant reduction of cardiovascular risk. Now, a large-scale, five-year study of some 2,000 diabetics with haptoglobin 2-2, being conducted in northern Israel, is expected to corroborate Dr. Levy’s findings.

“If this larger study confirms our findings, the public health implications will be huge. Vitamin E would represent an inexpensive and safe way to reduce the risk of cardiovascular death and heart attack in a significant proportion of diabetic patients,” he said.

American Society for Technion, Nov 18, 2004