This study goes a couple of steps further than any previous work. Results of the placebo-controlled, randomized study conducted by Dr. Cindy J. Fuller, formerly a postdoctoral fellow in the center and now an assistant professor at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and Jialal are being published in the May issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition . This oxidative process is believed to lead to atherosclerosis, a condition in which arteries become clogged with fatty deposits. Last year, Jialal, also a senior investigator in the center, reported that a minimum dose of 400 International Units of vitamin E per day produced a protective effect. Few studies have dealt with diabetic patients even though they are more prone to premature atherosclerosis, the leading cause of heart attacks and strokes.
Diabetics also experience greater protein glycation than nondiabetics.
Protein glycation is the result of glucose binding to proteins. If glucose binds to LDL, it increases the buildup of atherosclerotic plaque. Diabetics typically have high glucose levels. Jialal and his team wanted to see if vitamin E could reduce LDL oxidation and decrease protein glycation in diabetics. The Recommended Dietary Allowance for vitamin E is 10 milligrams.