Supplements May Not Curb Heart Risk

Vitamins C and E and beta carotene do not appear to cut the risk of cardiovascular events or death among women at risk for heart disease, a U.S. study found.

Nancy R. Cook, of Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, in Boston, tested the antioxidants in the Women’s Antioxidant Cardiovascular Study, which tracked 8,171 women 40 years or older — average age 60.6 — from 1995 to 1996.

The women either had a history of cardiovascular disease or three or more risk factors. They were randomly assigned to take 500 milligrams of vitamin C or placebo every day; 600 international units of vitamin E or placebo every other day; and 50 milligrams of beta carotene or placebo every other day.

There was no overall effect of vitamin C, vitamin E or beta carotene on the outcomes of myocardial infarction, stroke, coronary bypass surgery or angioplasty, or cardiovascular disease death, reported the study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.