Vitamin E for the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disease

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major health and economic concern worldwide. Vitamins are considered to be of great importance for maintaining cardiovascular function in health and disease. A deficiency of the antioxidant vitamin E has been linked to an increase in the risk of CVD and oxidative stress is one of the main factors in the pathogenesis of this disorder. However, despite several lines of experimental evidence, observational and interventional studies have yielded inconclusive and conflicting data. Accordingly, in this article, it is intended to discuss the controversies regarding the actions of vitamin E in cardiovascular health and disease, and describe the beneficial role of vitamin E in protection against cardiovascular complications in diabetes. It is suggested that the clinical efficacy of vitamin E in preventing the development of CVD may only be observed in specific patient populations.