Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care

Selected References

Preventive Health Care, 2003: The Role of Vitamin E Supplements in the Prevention of Cardiovascular Disease and Cancer

Prepared  by A. Alkhenizan, MD, CCFP, ABHPM, V.A. Palda, MD, MSc, with the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care

These recommendations were finalized by the Task Force in May 2003.

  1. Albanes D, Heinonen OP, Taylor PR, Virtamo J, Edwards BK, Rautalahti M, et al. Alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene supplements and lung cancer incidence in the alpha-tocopherol, beta-carotene cancer prevention study: effects of base-line characteristics and study compliance. J Natl Cancer Inst 1996;88(21):1560-70.

  2. Albanes D, Malila N, Taylor PR, Huttunen JK, Virtamo J, Edwards BK, et al. Effects of supplemental alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene on colorectal cancer: results from a controlled trial (Finland). Cancer Causes Control 2000;11(3):197-205.

  3. Birt DF, Bresnick E. Chemoprevention by non-nutrient components of vegetables and fruits. In: Alfin-Slater RB, Kritchevsky D, editors. Cancer and nutrition. New York (NY): Plenum Press; 1991. p. 221-61.

  4. Blot WJ, Li JY, Taylor PR, Guo W, Dawsey S, Wang GQ, et al.  Nutrition intervention trials in Linxian, China: supplementation with specific vitamin/mineral combinations, cancer incidence, and disease-specific mortality in the general population. J Natl Cancer Inst 1993;85(18):1483-92.

  5. Buring JE, Hennekens CH. The Women's Health Study: summary of the study design. Journal of Myocardial Ischemia 1992;4:27-9.

  6. Canadian cancer statistics 2000.  Toronto (ON): National Cancer Institute of Canada; 2000. Available from URL: http://www.cancer.ca/ccs/internet/standard/0,3182,3172_12851__langId-en,00.html

  7. Carew TE, Schwenke DC, Steinberg D. Antiatherogenic effect of probucol unrelated to its hypercholesteremic effect: evidence that antioxidants in vivo can selectively inhibit low density lipoprotien degradation in macrophage rich fatty streaks and slow the progression of atherosclerosis in the watanabe heritable hyperlipidemic rabbit. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 1987;84(21):7725-9.

  8. Collaborative Group of the Primary Prevention Project (PPP).  Low-dose aspirin and vitamin E in people at cardiovascular risk: a randomized trial in general practice. Lancet 2001;357(9250):89-95.

  9. Dietary reference intakes for vitamin C, vitamin E, selenium and carotenoids: a report of the Panel on Dietary Antioxidants and Related Compounds, Subcommittees on Upper Reference Levels of Nutrients and Interpretation and Uses of Dietary Reference Intakes, and the Standing Committee on the Scientific Evaluation of Dietary Reference Intakes, Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine.  Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 2000.

  10. Flagg EW, Coates RJ, Greenberg RS. Epidemiologic studies of antioxidants and cancer in humans. J Am Coll Nutr 1995;14(5):419-27.

  11. GISSI- Prevenzione Investigators. Dietary supplementation with n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E after myocardial infarction: results of the GISSI-prevenzione trial. Lancet 1999;354(9177):447-55.

  12. Harris RP, Helfand M, Woolf SH, Lohr KN, Mulrow CD, Teutsch SM et al. Current methods of the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. A review of the process. Am J Prev Med 2001; 20(3 Suppl):21-35.

  13. Heart disease and stroke in Canada.  Ottawa (ON): Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada; 1997. Available from URL: http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/hpb/lcdc/bcrdd/hdsc97/s02_e.html

  14. Heart Protection Study Collaborative Group. MRC/BHF Heart Protection Study of antioxidant supplementation in 20,536 high risk individuals: a randomised placebo-controlled trial.  Lancet 2002;360(9326):23-33.

  15. Heinonen OP, Albanes D, Virtamo J, Taylor PR, Huttunen JK, Hartman AM, et al. Prostate cancer and supplementation with alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene: incidence and mortality in a controlled trial. J Natl Cancer Inst 1998;90(6):440-6.

  16. Hercberg S, Preziosi P, Galan P, Faure H, Arnaud J, Duport N, et al. "The SU.VI.MAX Study": a primary prevention trial using nutritional doses of antioxidant vitamins and minerals in cardiovascular diseases and cancers. Food Chem Toxicol 1999;37(9-10):925-30.

  17. Jha P, Flather M, Lonn E, Farkouh M, Yusuf S. The antioxidant vitamins and cardiovascular disease. A critical review of epidemiologic and clinical trial data. Ann Intern Med 1995;123(11):860-72.

  18. Manson JE, Gaziano JM, Spelsberg A, Ridker PM, Cook NR, Buring JE, et al. A secondary prevention trial of antioxidant vitamins and cardiovascular disease in women: rationale, design, and methods. The WACS Research Group. Ann Epidemiol 1995;5(4):261-9.

  19. Menkes MS, Comstock GW, Vuilleumier JP, Helsing KJ, Rider AA, Brookmeyer R.  Serum beta-carotene, vitamins A and E, selenium, and the risk of lung cancer.  N Engl J Med. 1986;315(20):1250-4.

  20. Omenn GS, Goodman GE, Thornquist MD, Balmes J, Cullen MR, Glass A, et al. Effects of a combination of beta carotene and vitamin A on lung cancer and cardiovascular disease. N Engl J Med 1996;334(18):1150-5.

  21. Prasad KN, Edwards-Prasad J. Expressions of some molecular cancer risk factors and their modification by vitamins. J Am Coll Nutr 1990;9(1):28-34.

  22. Prasad KN, Edwards-Prasad J. Vitamin E and cancer prevention: recent advances and future potentials. J Am Coll Nutr. 1992;11(5):487-500.

  23. Rapola JM, Virtamo J, Ripatti S, Huttunen JK, Albanes D, Taylor PR, et al. Randomised trial of alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene supplements on incidence of major coronary events in men with previous myocardial infarction. Lancet 1997;349(9067):1715-20.

  24. Rimm EB, Stampfer MJ, Ascherio A, Giovannucci E, Colditz GA, Willett WC. Vitamin E consumption and the risk of coronary heart disease in men. N Engl J Med 1993;328(20):1450-6.

  25. Selected leading causes of death by sex.  Ottawa: Statistics Canada; 1997.  Available from: URL: http://www.statcan.ca/english/Pgdb/health36.htm.

  26. Shah CP, with Shah SS and Shah RR. Public Health and Preventive Medicine in Canada. 3rd ed. Toronto (ON): C.P. Shah; 1994.

  27. Stampfer MJ, Hennekens CH, Manson JE, Colditz GA, Rosner B, Willett WC. Vitamin E consumption and the risk of coronary disease in women. N Engl J Med 1993;328(20):1444-9.

  28. Steinberg D, and Workshop Participants. Antioxidants in the prevention of human atherosclerosis. Summary of the proceedings of a National Heart, Lung & Blood Institute workshop: September 5-6, 1991, Bethesda, Maryland. Circulation 1992;85(6):2337-44.

  29. Steinberg D, Parthasarathy S, Carew TE, Khoo JC, Witzum JL. Beyond cholesterol: modifications of low-density lipoprotien that increase its atherogenecity. N Engl J Med 1989;320(14):915-24.

  30. Stephens NG, Parsons A, Schofield PM, Kelly F, Cheeseman K, Mitchinson MJ. Randomised controlled trial of vitamin E in patients with coronary disease: Cambridge Heart Antioxidant Study (CHAOS). Lancet 1996;347(9004):781-6.

  31. The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study Group.The effect of vitamin E and beta carotene on the incidence of lung cancer and other cancer in male smokers. N Engl J Med 1994;330(15):1029-35. [referred to as “ATBC 1994a” in text]

  32. The Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta Carotene Cancer Prevention Study group. The alpha-tocopherol, beta carotene cancer prevention study: design, methods, participant characteristics, and compliance. Ann Epidemiol 1994;4(1):1-10. [referred to as “ATBC 1994b” in text]

  33. US Preventive Services Task Force.  Routine vitamin supplementation to prevent cancer and cardiovascular disease: recommendations and rationale. Ann Intern Med 2003;139(1):51-5.

  34. Virtamo J, Edwards BK, Virtanen M, Taylor PR, Malila N, Albanes D, et al. Effects of supplemental alpha-tocopherol and beta-carotene on urinary tract cancer: incidence and mortality in a controlled trial (Finland). Cancer Causes Control 2000;11(10):933-9.

  35. Virtamo J, Rapola JM, Ripatti S, Heinonen OP, Taylor PR, Albanes D, et al. Effect of vitamin E and beta carotene on the incidence of primary nonfatal myocardial infarction and fatal coronary heart disease.  Arch Intern Med 1998;158(6):668-75.

  36. Wald NJ, Boreham J, Hayward JL, Bulbrook RD. Plasma retinal, beta-carotene and vitamin E levels in relation to the future risk of breast cancer. Br J Cancer 1984;49(3): 321-4.

  37. Wattenberg LW. Inhibition of carcinogenesis by minor dietary constituents. Cancer Res 1992;52(7 Suppl):2085s-91s.

  38. Woolf SH, Battista RN, Anderson GM, Logan AG, Wang E and other members of the Canadian Task Force on the Periodic Health Examination. Assessing the clinical effectiveness of preventive maneuvers: Analytic principles and systematic methods in reviewing evidence and developing clinical practice recommendations. J Clin Epidemiol 1990; 43(9): 891-905.

  39. Yang CS, Miao J, Yang W, Huang M, Wang T, Xue H, et al.  Diet and vitamin nutrition of the high esophageal cancer risk population in Linxian, China. Nutr Cancer 1982;4(2):154-64.

  40. Yusuf S, Dagenais G, Pogue J, Bosch J, Sleight P. Vitamin E supplementation and cardiovascular events in high-risk patients. The Heart Outcomes Prevention Evaluation Study Investigators. N Engl J Med 2000;342(3):154-60.

  41. Zheng SF, Ershow AG, Yang CS, Li GY, Li RS, Li H, et al. Nutritional status in Linxian, China: effects of season and supplementation. Int J Vitam Nutr Res 1989;59(2):190-9.

Link to Recommendation Statement

Link to Full Technical Report

Link to Summary Table of Recommendations of this review

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