Vitamin
E, selenium supplements unlikely to affect age-related cataracts in men
Taking daily supplements of selenium and/or vitamin E appears to
have no significant effect on the development of age-related cataracts in men,
writes Author William G. Christen, Sc.D., of Brigham & Women's Hospital and
Harvard Medical School, Boston, and colleagues.
Some research, including animal studies, has suggested that
dietary nutrients can have an effect on the onset and progression of cataracts.
Vitamin E and selenium are of particular interest.
The authors report the findings for cataracts from the Selenium
and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT) Eye Endpoints (SEE) Study. The
SEE study was an ancillary study of SELECT, a randomized placebo-controlled
trial of selenium, vitamin E and a combination of the two in prostate cancer
prevention among 35,533 men (50 years and older for black men and 55 years and
older for all other men). Men were asked to report cataract diagnosis or
removal since entering the SELECT trial. A total of 11,267 SELECT participants
took part in the SEE study.
There were 197 cases of
cataracts in the vitamin E group and 192 in the group without vitamin E.
Results were similar for cataract removal.
"These randomized trial data from a large cohort of
apparently healthy men indicate that long-term daily supplemental use of
vitamin E has no material impact on cataract incidence. The data also exclude
any large beneficial effect on cataract for long-term supplemental use of
selenium, with or without vitamin E, although a smaller but potentially
important beneficial effect could not be ruled out."
Story
Source:
The above story is based on materials provided by The JAMA Network
Journals.Note: Materials may be edited for content and
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Journal
Reference:
William G. Christen, Sc.D. et al. Age-Related Cataract in Men in
the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial Eye Endpoints Study: A
Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA
Ophthalmol, September 2014 DOI:10.1001/.jamaopthalmol.2014.3478
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The JAMA Network Journals. "Vitamin E, selenium supplements
unlikely to affect age-related cataracts in men." Science
Daily, 18 September 2014.