Encouraging news was released this week about the effectiveness of vitamin E on Alzheimer’s disease. At the same time, this news needs to be taken with a grain of salt, as there are many ups and downs when it comes to Alzheimer’s and vitamin research. One study will show the effectiveness of certain vitamins, while another will say precisely the opposite. Additionally, though vitamins are considered “healthy,” there is the potential for overuse. Given people’s potential desperation about stopping the effects of Alzheimer’s, they could be driven to overusing certain nutrients based on the latest study – a study with findings that could be negated down the line.
First the study, which is published in the July issue of the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease:
The researchers studied 232 people who were 80 years or older and were free of dementia at the beginning of the study. After six years, they identified 57 cases of Alzheimer’s disease.
At the beginning of the study, the blood levels of all eight natural components of vitamin E were measured. People with higher blood levels were compared with those subjects who had lower blood levels. The scientists found that seniors with the higher blood levels of all the forms of vitamin E reduced their risk of developing Alzheimer’s by 45 to 54 percent, depending on the levels of specific components.
Mangialasche noted that the protective effect of vitamin E appears to be related to the combination of the different forms. Along this line, another recent study suggested that supplements containing high doses of the tocopherol component of vitamin E may increase mortality, indicating that such dietary supplements, if not balanced in the body, may be more harmful than previously thought.
As said, this is promising, but it’s extraordinarily important that people take into account the possible contraindications.
Vitamin E supplements have the potential to interact with several types of medications. A few examples are provided below. People taking these and other medications on a regular basis should discuss their vitamin E intakes with their healthcare providers.
Anticoagulant and antiplatelet medications
Vitamin E can inhibit platelet aggregation and antagonize vitamin K-dependent clotting factors. As a result, taking large doses with anticoagulant or antiplatelet medications, such as warfarin (Coumadin®), can increase the risk of bleeding, especially in conjunction with low vitamin K intake. The amounts of supplemental vitamin E needed to produce clinically significant effects are unknown but probably exceed 400 IU/day.
Simvastatin and niacin
Some people take vitamin E supplements with other antioxidants, such as vitamin C, selenium, and beta-carotene. This collection of antioxidant ingredients blunted the rise in high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels, especially levels of HDL2, the most cardioprotective HDL component, among people treated with a combination of simvastatin (brand name Zocor®) and niacin.
If you don’t take any of those medications, you may think vitamin E to be completely safe, but there have been studies demonstrating that vitamin E can be significantly dangerous, regardless of contraindications, even deadly.
Researchers compiled data from 14 clinical studies that compared the usage of vitamin E to placebo. In these studies, the average daily dose of vitamin E was 400 IU. They found that higher doses of vitamin E was associated with an increased risk of death. With doses of 200 IU and lower, there was no evidence of an increase in mortality. At doses greater than 400 IU per day, there was a significant increase in mortality, amounting to a 10% increased risk of death.
This should set off alarm bells, as those looking to reduce the likelihood of developing Alzheimer’s disease may indiscriminately take well above the average dose, which could put the person at risk for other health concerns. Staying under 400 IU of vitamin E should be safe, but this may not be enough to have an effect on A.D. That said, the placebo effect cannot be underestimated either, so if a patient thinks they’re doing something beneficial, this has the potential to have real therapeutic effect.
Not to throw too much water on these findings, but as mentioned, studies into vitamins tend to fluctuate pretty regularly. For example:
Clinical trial findings crush hopes that high-dose B vitamins — folate and vitamins B6 and B12 — might slow mental decline in people with Alzheimer’s disease.
The findings come from a study of people who already had mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s.
Over 18 months, Alzheimer’s disease progressed just as quickly in the 202 patients who took high-dose B-vitamin supplements as in the 138 patients who took inactive placebo pills.
“This regimen of high-dose vitamin B supplements does not slow cognitive decline in individuals with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease,” conclude University of California, San Diego researcher Paul S. Aisen, MD, and colleagues.
Conclusion: these new findings are inconclusive. We’re reporting on them, because they are intriguing and could have important implications in the future. But people facing the prospect of Alzheimer’s disease should not read this new study about vitamin E as a reason to rush to the nearest health food store and buy up supplements. It is vital that you discuss with your doctor any new regimen, especially if you take any additional medication or supplements that could interact poorly with an increased intake of vitamin E and aggravate other medical conditions.
