The Pharmaceutical Journal
Vol 268 No 7198 p694-696
18 May 2002

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Benefits of vitamin E

Vitamin E supplementation might improve microcirculation in patients with hypercholesterolaemia, said Dr ALENKA BOROVNICAR, Lek Pharmaceutical Company, Ljubljana, Slovenia.

She described a six-month trial in which 44 asymptomatic men with untreated high cholesterol levels were given either vitamin E 400mg a day or placebo. Functional changes in arterial walls were assessed.

After six months, significant increases in endothelial vasodilation and blood flow were seen. "This suggests that vitamin E could improve endothelial dysfunction which is an early step in atherosclerosis," Dr Borovnicar said. "The antioxidant effect of vitamin E might improve blood flow in large conduct arteries as well as in the microcirculation in patients with hypercholesterolaemia."

She added that it was too early to say if vitamin E should be given for treating hypercholesterolaemia.