Lee Swanson Research Update

Vitamin E May Reduce Risk of Lung Disease

June 2011

Daily supplementation with vitamin E may reduce the risk of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) by about 10% in women over 45, according to a study from Cornell University.

The potential beneficial effects—calculated by analyzing data from 38,597 women participating in the Women’s Health Study (WHS)—were observed in both smokers and non-smokers. The findings were published in the journal Thorax.

COPD can cause coughing that produces large amounts of mucus, wheezing, shortness of breath, chest tightness and other symptoms, with cigarette smoking being the leading cause.

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health, COPD is a major cause of disability, and it is the fourth leading cause of death in the U.S., with over 12 million people currently diagnosed with the disease.

The oxidant/antioxidant balance in lung tissue is hypothesized to contribute to COPD risk, the researchers said, and they noted that observational studies consistently report high antioxidant status associated with lower risk of COPD and asthma.

Led by Anne Hermetet Agler from Cornell University’s Division of Nutritional Sciences, the researchers analyzed data from the WHS, a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial that ended in 2004. Women received either vitamin E supplements at a dose of 600 IU every other day, plus aspirin at a dose of 100 mg every other day, or placebo.

Over the course of 10 years of study, the researchers documented 760 new cases of chronic lung disease in the recipients of vitamin E compared with 846 cases in the recipients of the placebo.

This was equivalent to a 10% decrease in the risk of developing chronic lung disease, said the researchers, and this was not affected by the smoking status of the individuals.

Thorax 66(4):320-325, 2011
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