Women who take vitamin E supplements are neither more or less likely to have heart problems, according to a new study in the journal Circulation: Heart Failure.
The study, involving nearly 40,000 women in the Women's Health Study, is the first to investigate the effectiveness of vitamin E to prevent the development of heart failure.
Researchers from Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston tracked the health of women who took 600 International Units of vitamin E or a placebo every other day for an average of 10 years.
During the course of the study, investigators noted 220 heart failure cases. But researchers found no impact – positive or negative -- from vitamin E supplementation.
They did, however, find a 41 percent decrease in the risk of developing a type of heart failure in which the heart retains its normal pumping function.
They concluded: Heart failure prevention strategies should focus on what has been shown in research to reduce risks, such as controlling blood pressure and preventing heart disease.