Could Vitamin E Help Prevent Alzheimer's Disease?

A recent study shows that a daily dose of Vitamin E may be effective in slowing the progression of mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

With a daily dosage of 2,000 IUs, findings showed this to be an effective dosage in reducing caregiver time necessary for patients suffering from the health issue.

Previous studies have been conducted involving alpha tocopherol-a fat-soluble vitamin (E) and antioxidant, that showed how patients with moderately severe Alzheimer's disease (AD) and patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). However, until now, none have been conducted on patients with mild to moderate Alzheimer's disease.

For the study, researchers included 613 patients at 14 Veterans Affairs medical centers. The patients were split into four groups, with one receiving 2,000 IU/day of Vitamin E, while others received 20 mg/d of memantine, the third received the combination, and the fourth group received a placebo.

Findings showed that the group on the regular dosage of Vitamin E fared better than the others. An average follow-up period of 2.3 years was studied for patients who received Vitamin E and demonstrated slower functional decline than those that received a placebo, with the annual rate of decline in ADLS reduced by 19 percent, according to background information from the study.

Researchers also found that neither memantine or the combination of Vitamin E and memantine showed a clinical benefit via the trial. Caregiver time was also reduced by close to two hours a day in the Vitamin E group.

More information regarding the study can be found via JAMA.