Study On Antioxidants And Risk Of Cardiovascular Events In Women Is Flawed

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Natural Products Association Says Medical Journal Study On

Antioxidants And Risk Of Cardiovascular Events In Women Is Flawed

 

" Medical News Today "

 

The Natural Products Association issued the following statement by

Daniel Fabricant, Ph.D., vice president of scientific and regulatory

affairs, in response to a study released on August 13, 2007, in the

Archives of Internal Medicine (Journal of the American Medical

Association) According to the report, " A Randomized Factorial Trial

of Vitamins C and E and Beta Carotene in the Secondary Prevention of

Cardiovascular Events in Women, " women who have a higher risk of

heart disease might not get any benefit from consuming vitamins C, E

and beta carotene, either on their own in combination; the

antioxidants do not lower their risk of experiencing a cardiovascular

event.

 

" While study subjects had to be willing to forgo individual

supplements of vitamins A, C, E, and beta carotene at levels beyond

the U.S. recommended daily allowance during the trial to control

intake levels, the study makes a critical error in that there are no

controls in place for dietary intake of vitamins C and E and beta-

carotene through fruits and vegetables. We have no baseline of what

the subjects' nutrient status was from food, thus to draw any

comparison or conclusion doesn't really offer a complete view of the

research picture.

 

" Generally diet and exercise are very important components of

secondary prevention, yet this study makes no mention of the exercise

habits of the subjects, nor does it track some of the dietary habits

like sodium (salt) intake, which are potential study confounders.

 

" The risk factors for eligibility in the study are rather broad and

range from self-reported diagnosis of hypertension, high cholesterol

level, or diabetes mellitus; parental history of premature myocardial

infarction (MI) before age 60 years; obesity (body mass index [bMI]

greater than 30 [calculated as weight in kilograms divided by height

in meters squared]); current cigarette smoking; and inconsistent

reporting of the subjects' prior medical CVs. This variability of

subjects has the potential to introduce bias and doesn't reflect the

scientific objective of secondary prevention. "

 

The Natural Products Association is the nation's largest and oldest

non-profit organization dedicated to the natural products industry.

The association represents nearly 10,000 retailers, manufacturers,

wholesalers and distributors of natural products, including foods,

dietary supplements, and health/beauty aids.