by Jacki Hart, MD
Q: My husband has heart disease and has had two angioplasties. He has been taking 800 IU of vitamin E per day, but was recently advised to stop taking it. What is your opinion?
A: Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant. Some studies have suggested that because of its role as an antioxidant, this vitamin may help prevent and/or treat heart disease. However, a recent article published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings has cast doubt on this belief. The advice your husband has received is likely based on this article.
The authors of the Mayo Clinic article reviewed several studies that evaluated the role of vitamin E in heart disease, and concluded that although vitamin E supplementation appears to be safe for most people, the evidence that it actually protects against heart disease may not be strong enough to warrant use of vitamin E supplements.
A little background
Many of the early studies suggesting that vitamin E may protect against the development of heart disease looked at groups of people over time. They found that people who ate higher amounts of vitamin E
Q: My husband has heart disease and has had two angioplasties. He has been taking 800 IU of vitamin E per day, but was recently advised to stop taking it. What is your opinion?
A: Vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin that acts as an antioxidant. Some studies have suggested that because of its role as an antioxidant, this vitamin may help prevent and/or treat heart disease. However, a recent article published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings has cast doubt on this belief. The advice your husband has received is likely based on this article.
The authors of the Mayo Clinic article reviewed several studies that evaluated the role of vitamin E in heart disease, and concluded that although vitamin E supplementation appears to be safe for most people, the evidence that it actually protects against heart disease may not be strong enough to warrant use of vitamin E supplements.
A little background
Many of the early studies suggesting that vitamin E may protect against the development of heart disease looked at groups of people over time. They found that people who ate higher amounts of vitamin E