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. 1995 Oct 28;311(7013):1124–1127. doi: 10.1136/bmj.311.7013.1124

Increased risk of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus at low plasma vitamin E concentrations: a four year follow up study in men.

J T Salonen 1, K Nyyssönen 1, T P Tuomainen 1, P H Mäenpää 1, H Korpela 1, G A Kaplan 1, J Lynch 1, S P Helmrich 1, R Salonen 1
PMCID: PMC2551054  PMID: 7580706

Abstract

OBJECTIVE--To investigate whether low vitamin E status is a risk factor for incident non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus. DESIGN--Population based follow up study with diabetes assessed at baseline and at four years. SETTING--Eastern Finland. SUBJECTS--Random sample of 944 men aged 42-60 who had no diabetes at the baseline examination. INTERVENTION--Oral glucose tolerance test at four year follow up. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES--A man was defined diabetic if he had either (a) a fasting blood glucose concentration > or = 6.7 mmol/l, or (b) a blood glucose concentration > or = 10.0 mmol/l two hours after a glucose load, or (c) a clinical diagnosis of diabetes with either dietary, oral, or insulin treatment. RESULTS--45 men developed diabetes during the follow up period. In a multivariate logistic regression model including the strongest predictors of diabetes, a low lipid standardised plasma vitamin E (below median) concentration was associated with a 3.9-fold (95% confidence interval 1.8-fold to 8.6-fold) risk of incident diabetes. A decrement of 1 mumol/l of uncategorised unstandardised vitamin E concentration was associated with an increment of 22% in the risk of diabetes when allowing for the strongest other risk factors as well as serum low density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations. CONCLUSIONS--There was a strong independent association between low vitamin E status before follow up and an excess risk of diabetes at four years. This supports the theory that free radical stress has a role in the causation of non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus.

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Selected References

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