Vitamin E stroke risk findings
Source: Agencies |
November 6, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
PEOPLE should be cautious about taking vitamin E supplements regularly because doing so can increase the risk of a certain type of stroke, an international team of scientists said yesterday.
Researchers from the United States, France and Germany reviewed existing studies of vitamin E and its effect on strokes and found that taking the vitamin increased the risk of hemorrhagic stroke, where bleeding occurs in the brain, by 22 percent, but cuts the risk of ischaemic stroke by 10 percent.
Ischaemic stroke accounts for around 70 percent of all cases and happens when a blood clot prevents blood reaching the brain.
"These findings suggest that the use of vitamin E may not be as safe as we have believed and is actually associated with some harm in the form of increased risk for hemorrhagic stroke," said Markus Schurks, of the Brigham and Women's Hospital in the US, who led the study.
The researchers stressed the effects on absolute risk are small, with 0.8 more hemorrhagic strokes and 2.1 fewer ischaemic strokes per 1,000 people taking vitamin E.
This is equivalent to one ischaemic stroke being prevented for 476 people taking the vitamin, they said, and one extra hemorrhagic stroke for every 1,250 people taking it.
"While the risk is small ... we caution against widespread uncontrolled use of vitamin E," Schurks said in a statement.
Previous research has suggested that taking vitamin E has a protective effect against heart disease, the scientists said in their study published in the British Medical Journal.
Stroke is the most common cardiovascular problem after heart disease and kills around 5.7 million people worldwide each year.
"We suggest considering other preventive strategies to reduce the risk of stroke such as a well balanced diet, not smoking, being physically active and maintaining a normal weight," said Tobias Kurth, of France's Hopital de la Pitie-Salpetriere, who also worked on the study.
Researchers from the United States, France and Germany reviewed existing studies of vitamin E and its effect on strokes and found that taking the vitamin increased the risk of hemorrhagic stroke, where bleeding occurs in the brain, by 22 percent, but cuts the risk of ischaemic stroke by 10 percent.
Ischaemic stroke accounts for around 70 percent of all cases and happens when a blood clot prevents blood reaching the brain.
"These findings suggest that the use of vitamin E may not be as safe as we have believed and is actually associated with some harm in the form of increased risk for hemorrhagic stroke," said Markus Schurks, of the Brigham and Women's Hospital in the US, who led the study.
The researchers stressed the effects on absolute risk are small, with 0.8 more hemorrhagic strokes and 2.1 fewer ischaemic strokes per 1,000 people taking vitamin E.
This is equivalent to one ischaemic stroke being prevented for 476 people taking the vitamin, they said, and one extra hemorrhagic stroke for every 1,250 people taking it.
"While the risk is small ... we caution against widespread uncontrolled use of vitamin E," Schurks said in a statement.
Previous research has suggested that taking vitamin E has a protective effect against heart disease, the scientists said in their study published in the British Medical Journal.
Stroke is the most common cardiovascular problem after heart disease and kills around 5.7 million people worldwide each year.
"We suggest considering other preventive strategies to reduce the risk of stroke such as a well balanced diet, not smoking, being physically active and maintaining a normal weight," said Tobias Kurth, of France's Hopital de la Pitie-Salpetriere, who also worked on the study.
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