High Doses of Vitamin E Lengthen Lives of Alzheimer’s Patients
Study found those who took 2,000 IUs a day lived 26% longer
Alzheimer’s patients who consume very high levels of vitamin E seem to live longer than those who do not, new research suggests.
The study comes on the heels of growing concerns regarding the safety and efficacy of giving any patient — whether suffering from Alzheimer’s or another illness — the high dosage in question: 2,000 international units (IUs) per day.
Findings stem from almost 15 years spent tracking survival rates among 847 men and women already diagnosed with various stages of Alzheimer’s.
Just over two-thirds of the patients were women, and the average age was almost 74. On average, patient outcome was followed for about five years.
About two-thirds of the patients had been prescribed two daily doses of 1,000 IUs of vitamin E, in conjunction with an Alzheimer medication from the class of drugs known as cholinesterase inhibitors.
Cholinesterase inhibitors are designed to halt the breakdown of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which is key to nerve pulse function in the brain. Alzheimer’s patients suffer from a drop in acetylcholine production, so this class of drugs prevents the otherwise normal elimination of excess transmitters among those who have none to spare.
Fewer than 10 percent of patients took just vitamin E, while about 15 percent took neither the vitamin nor the medication.
The researchers found that patients who consumed the prescribed daily dosage of vitamin E appeared to extend their life span by 26 percent, compared with those not taking vitamin E.
Though there were some preliminary indications that the enhanced survival benefit associated with vitamin E was even greater among patients taking both the vitamin and a cholinesterase inhibitor, Pavlik and her team noted that the 26 percent bump held up even without the Alzheimer’s drug.
However, those taking a cholinesterase inhibitor alone did not appear to gain any survival benefit.
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April 16th, 2008 at 2:31 pm
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