Vitamin E Increases Life Span Of Alzheimer's Patients

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Washington : Vitamin E may help Alzheimer's patients live longer, finds a new study by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine's Alzheimer's Disease and Memory Disorders Center in Houston.

As a part of the study, lead author Valory Pavlik, PhD, and colleagues followed 847 people with Alzheimer's disease for an average of five years.

About two-thirds of the group took 1,000 international units of vitamin E twice a day along with an Alzheimer's drug (a cholinesterase inhibitor). Less than 10 percent of the group took vitamin E alone and approximately 15 percent did not take vitamin E.

The researchers found that Alzheimer's patients who took vitamin E, with or without a cholinesterase inhibitor, were 26 percent less likely to die than people who didn't take vitamin E.

"Vitamin E has previously been shown to delay the progression of moderately severe Alzheimer's disease. Now, we've been able to show that vitamin E appears to increase the survival time of Alzheimer's patients as well," Pavlik said.

“This is particularly important because recent studies in heart disease patients have questioned whether vitamin E is beneficial for survival."

It was also found that vitamin E plus a cholinesterase inhibitor may be more beneficial than taking either agent alone.

"Our findings show that people who took a cholinesterase inhibitor without vitamin E did not have a survival benefit. More research needs to be done to determine why this may be the case," said Pavlik.

In addition to vitamin E supplements, some vegetables oils, nuts, and green leafy vegetables are main food sources of vitamin E. Some fortified cereals in the United States also contain vitamin E.

The research will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology 60th Anniversary Annual Meeting in Chicago, April 12–19, 2008.

Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or a qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.