CHICAGO (Reuters) – Daily vitamin E supplements do not prevent cancer, strokes or heart attacks in older people with vascular disease or diabetes, and may increase their risk of heart failure, a study said on Tuesday.
Millions of people take the supplements hoping for longer and healthier lives.
“In conjunction with its lack of efficacy, the potential for harm suggested by our findings strongly supports the view that vitamin E supplements should not be used in patients with vascular disease or diabetes mellitus,” said the study from Canada’s McMaster University and Hamilton Health Sciences Corp.
People in the study taking vitamin E were 40 percent more likely to be hospitalized for heart failure than those who were not taking it.
It adds to a growing body of evidence that suggests taking vitamins is not always a fast route to good health and can even be harmful.
