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Meta-Analysis
. 2004 Apr;19(4):380-9.
doi: 10.1111/j.1525-1497.2004.30090.x.

Effect of supplemental vitamin E for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease

Affiliations
Meta-Analysis

Effect of supplemental vitamin E for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease

Paul G Shekelle et al. J Gen Intern Med. 2004 Apr.

Abstract

Objective: To evaluate and synthesize the evidence on the effect of supplements of vitamin E on the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease.

Design: Systematic review of placebo-controlled randomized controlled trials; meta-analysis where justified.

Measurements and main results: Eighty-four eligible trials were identified. For the outcomes of all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, fatal or nonfatal myocardial infarction, and blood lipids, neither supplements of vitamin E alone nor vitamin E given with other agents yielded a statistically significant beneficial or adverse pooled relative risk (for example, pooled relative risk of vitamin E alone = 0.96 [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.84 to 1.10]; 0.97 [95% CI, 0.80 to 1.90]; and 0.72 [95% CI, 0.51 to 1.02] for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular mortality, and nonfatal myocardial infarction, respectively.

Conclusions: There is good evidence that vitamin E supplementation does not beneficially or adversely affect cardiovascular outcomes.

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Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1
Flowchart of trials.
FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2
Pooled relative risk ratios for all-cause mortality.
FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3
Pooled relative risk ratios for myocardial infarction.

Comment in

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