Search Here

Vitamin E may slow functional decline in patients suffering mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease, a new study reveals. Functional decline includes problems with everyday tasks such as shopping, cooking and traveling.

A new study reveals that vitamin E delayed the progression of functional decline in patients by at least 19 percent per year.

Around 613 patients suffering with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s disease were involved in the study. The study started in August 2007 and ended September 2012.

Patients were followed up in these 2.3 years. Those who received vitamin E had slower functional decline than those who received the placebo.

“Since the cholinesterase inhibitors [galantamine, donepezil, rivastigmine], we have had very little to offer patients with mild-to-moderate dementia,” said Mary Sano, trial co-investigator, and professor in the department of psychiatry, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, according to Zee News.

“This trial showed that vitamin E delays progression of functional decline by 19 per cent per year, which translates into 6.2 months benefit over placebo,” Sano said.

“This study is the first to show an added benefit for vitamin E in mild-to-moderate disease,” said Kenneth Davis, Chief Executive Officer and President of the Mount Sinai Health System and Gustave L Levy Distinguished Professor, according to Zee News.

“Now that we have a strong clinical trial showing that vitamin E slows functional decline and reduces the burdens on caregivers, vitamin E should be offered to patients with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease,” Davis said.

The study is published in the Journal Of The American Medical Association.