Suggests that vitamin E prevents or slows down the symptoms of
Alzheimer's disease. Physiological potentials of vitamin E on persons
with Alzheimer's; Suggested dosage for treating the disease.
By
Annie Murphy Paul, published on September 01, 1997
A nutrient available at every drugstore seems to stave off the
symptoms ofAlzheimer's, according to a long-term study of patients
moderately afflicted with the disease. Lead researcher Mary Sano, Ph.D.,
and colleagues found that high doses of vitamin E delayed patients' entry
into nursing homes by about seven months, and decreased the loss of daily
activities by a quarter.
Sano, a professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University, says
that vitamin E may work by improving the functioning of neurons, or by
slowing the oxidative damage associated with Alzheimer's. (Such damage
occurs when highly reactive forms of oxygen break down the structure of
brain cells.) Scientists will look next at whether giving vitamin E to
patients with only mild cognitive impairment can delay the onset of
dementia even longer.
The dosage used in the study, 2,000 I.U., is much higher than that
found in ordinary dietary supplements. Participants experienced few side
effects, however, and the researchers are optimistic about vitamin E's
potential to help those with Alzheimer's. Few other treatments have shown
such encouraging effects on the disease, Sano observes, and in this case
"the risks seem to be small in relation to the potential
benefits."
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