TITLE: Reduced Risk of Alzheimer Disease in Users of Antioxidant Vitamin Supplements

REF: Arch Neurol. 2004;61:82-88 http://archneur.ama-assn.org/cgi/co...bstract/61/1/82

PATIENTS: 4740 Cache County, Utah residents over 65 years of age

FINDINGS: use of vitamin C & E supplements--- in combination --- resulted in a lower prevalence (odds ratio of .22) and lower incidence (hazard ratio of 0.36) of Alzheimer's Disease. Vitamin C alone, vitamin E alone, multivitamins, or B complex vitamins did not reduce Alzheimer's.

CONCLUSION: the combination of vitamin C and E supplements reduce the chance of getting Alzheimer's Disease.

COMMENT: nutritional research like this is very difficult to carry out since it relies on questionairres to determine supplement usage. Nevertheless, the reduction in Alzheimer's Disease is quite remarkable.

I currently take a multivitamin/multimineral supplement, but not an additional vitamin C or vitamin E supplement. I am not ready to change my supplement regimen yet, but it probably wouldn't hurt!

It is important to emphasize that exercise, blood pressure control, and cholesterol management are still very important -- probably the most important way you can reduce your chances of premature disease and death.