Vitamin E is ineffective in preventing stroke

Stroke is a leading cause of death and long-term disability worldwide. Vitamin E (tocopherol) is an antioxidant which may protect against atherogenesis by acting as a scavenger of free radicals with subsequent reduced oxidation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and several other favourable effects on plaque stability, platelet aggregation and tendency to thrombosis. However, a recent meta-analysis of 13 randomised controlled trials (166 282 participants) showed that, compared with placebo, vitamin E supplementation does not significantly prevent stroke of any type (RR 1.01; 95% CI 0.96 to 1.07).1 The statistical question addressed by this meta-analysis was whether or not vitamin E supplements showed superiority versus placebo based on the endpoint of preventing stroke, and the conclusion was that the limited trial evidence available to date does not support their use in the primary prevention of this disorder. Trial-sequential analysis (TSA) is a new statistical technique, which may improve...
Source: Evidence-Based Medicine - Category: Internal Medicine Authors: Tags: Letters Source Type: research