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Vitamin E has antioxidant activity that inhibits subendothelial low-density lipoprotein oxidation and atherosclerotic plaque formation.¹ Nevertheless, current opinion does not advocate the use of daily vitamin E supplementation to reduce the risk of vascular events² and the skepticism concerning the use of vitamin E as an adjunctive treatment for either secondary or primary prevention of vascular events is based on the present "lack of solid evidence of efficacy."² However, a careful overview of the data allows for an alternative approach, which is based on several considerations.

First, data from animal experiments strongly support the efficacy of vitamin E in reducing the number and size of atherosclerotic plaques,¹ and compelling data from human studies demonstrate protection of low-density lipoproteins from lipid peroxidation by a minimum dose of vitamin E (400 IU), but not by using beta carotene.^3-5 Second, the equivocal results of both the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study (ATBC)⁶ . . . [Full Text of this Article]