A trial of potential therapies for slowing the onset of Alzheimer’s has found no benefit to patients taking vitamin E. The findings appear to contrast with prior research suggesting that it may help slow progression of the disease. The randomized, double-blind study, carried out at different centres in the US and Canada, compared vitamin E, an Alzheimer’s treatment drug donepezil and placebo for delay or prevention of progression to Alzheimer’s disease in mild cognitive impairment patients. For those taking vitamin E -1000 IU per day for the first six weeks and then 2000 IU per day until the study’s end - progression to Alzheimer’s disease was not significantly slower during the three-year trial. However the results would seem to confirm findings reported by John Hopkins researchers earlier this year - use of vitamin E and C in combination reduced prevalence of the disease by about 78 per cent and incidence by about 64 per cent but they found no benefit from vitamin E used alone. The new results were presented at the 9th International Conference on Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders in Philadelphia last weekend. The Alzheimer’s Association described the trial as “among the most anticipated studies” to be presented at the conference.
