January 2, 2014
Research suggesting Vitamin E may be beneficial for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease was covered on two of Tuesday’s national news broadcasts, in the print editions or on the websites of several major papers, and by several other major websites and wires. Most sources pointed out that while the vitamin was associated with a delay in the loss of function in Alzheimer’s patients, it had no impact on memory and has not been shown to prevent the disease. ABC World News(12/31, story 5, 1:10, Muir) reported that “a new study” indicated that “Vitamin E may” be beneficial for some patients with Alzheimer’s.
On the CBS Evening News (12/31, story 7, 2:15, Dubois), CBS’ Elaine Quijano reported, “Since the exact cause of Alzheimer’s is still being debated, researchers aren’t sure how the vitamin helps,” but “they believe it protects brain cells from Alzheimer’s damage.”
USA Today (1/1, Weintraub) reported, “Research a decade ago showed that vitamin E was helpful in late-stage Alzheimer’s disease.” The new research, “published Tuesday by the Journal of the American Medical Association finds the benefits extend to people with mild to moderate forms of the disease.”
The AP (1/1, Marchione) reported, “The new study involved 613 veterans, nearly all male, 79 years old on average, with mild to moderate Alzheimer’s.” The participants “were already taking Aricept, Razadyne or Exelon – widely used, similar dementia” medications. The study “participants were placed in four groups and given either vitamin E, another dementia medicine called memantine (its brand name is Namenda), both pills or” placebos.
The Los Angeles Times (1/1, Healy) “Science Now” blog reported, “Compared with subjects who took placebo pills, those who took daily supplements of the antioxidant vitamin E and were followed for an average of two years and three months delayed their loss of function by a little over six months on average, a 19% improvement.” Investigators found that “the vitamin E group’s increased need for caregiver help was the lowest of several groups, including those taking the Alzheimer’s drug memantine, those taking memantine and vitamin E, and those taking a placebo.” The new findings “also cast doubt on earlier findings suggesting that vitamin E supplements hastened death in” patients with Alzheimer’s disease.
The New York Times (1/1, Belluck) “New Old Age” blog reported that additionally, “high-dose vitamin E appeared safe.” A number of physicians “had stopped suggesting it to Alzheimer’s patients after a 2005 analysis suggested that high doses could increase the risk of mortality.” The blog added that “still, experts, including the authors, said the new study did not mean that high-dose vitamin E should be taken by everyone with dementia or everyone hoping to prevent it.”
The Wall Street Journal (1/1, A3, Dooren, Subscription Publication) pointed out that the study found that the vitamin did not impact memory, and physicians said that there is no evidence indicating that vitamin E prevents Alzheimer’s. Also covering the story wereBloomberg News (1/1, Ostrow), Reuters (1/1, Seaman), the CBS News (1/1, Castillo) website, CNN (1/1, Landau), the National Public Radio (12/31, Shute) “Shots” blog, the TIME (1/1, Sifferlin) website, the Cleveland Plain Dealer (1/1, Townsend), the New York Daily News (1/1, Miller), HealthDay (1/1, Thompson), Medscape (1/1, Brooks), and the Minneapolis Star Tribune (1/1, Browning).
Article courtesy American Medical Association
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