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

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#cardiovascular-diseases #cause-of-death #dietary-supplements #evidence-based-medicine #fatty-acids-omega-3

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

Shekelle et al., 2004 | J Gen Intern Med | Meta Analysis

Citation

Shekelle Paul G, Morton Sally C, ... Hardy Mary. Effect of supplemental vitamin E for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular disease. J Gen Intern Med. 2004-Apr;19(4):380-9

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.

Key Findings

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 a

Outcomes Measured

  • Requires manual extraction

Population

Field Value
Population See abstract
Sample Size See abstract
Age Range See abstract
Condition See abstract

MeSH Terms

  • Cardiovascular Diseases
  • Cause of Death
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Evidence-Based Medicine
  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3
  • Humans
  • Lipids
  • Myocardial Infarction
  • Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
  • Survival Analysis
  • Vitamin E

Evidence Classification

  • Level: Meta Analysis
  • Publication Types: Journal Article, Meta-Analysis, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S., Systematic Review
  • Vertical: vitamin-e

Provenance

  • PMID: 15061748
  • DOI: (not available)
  • PMCID: PMC1492195
  • Verified: 2026-04-09 via PubMed E-utilities API

Source extracted via PubMed E-utilities API on 2026-04-09