Vitamin E supplementation and macular degeneration: randomised controlled trial

BMJ : British Medical Journal
Jul 2002
Citations:161
Influential Citations:6
Interventional (Human) Studies
81
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Methods
Prospective randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial; 1193 healthy volunteers aged 55–80 years; four-year follow-up.
Intervention
Vitamin E 500 IU daily for four years, taken orally as a natural vitamin E capsule (335 mg d-tocopherol) in soybean oil suspension (gelatin capsule).
Results
Vitamin E supplementation did not prevent development or progression of AMD. Early AMD incidence was 8.6% with vitamin E vs 8.1% with placebo (risk ratio 1.05, 95% CI 0.69–1.61); late AMD incidence 0.8% vs 0.6% (RR 1.36, 0.67–2.77). No consistent differences in secondary outcomes, including progression by grading or changes in visual acuity or function. Hypopigmentation was less common with vitamin E, but clinical significance is unclear. Overall, no protective effect on AMD.
Limitations
Short follow-up (4 years); relatively low proportion of cigarette smokers; 73% completed full protocol; power to detect changes in some AMD features was limited (<70%).

Abstract

Objective: To determine whether vitamin E supplementation influences the incidence or rate of progression of age related maculopathy (AMD). Design: Prospective randomised placebo controlled clinical trial. Setting: An urban study centre in a resident...