Dr. Harri Hemila and Jaakko Kaprio of the University of Helsinki said the large randomized trial was conducted in Finland from 1985 to 1993 and involved more than 10,000 people age 65 and older. The study, published in Age and Ageing, finds vitamin E had no effect on mortality in those age 65-70, but it reduced mortality by 24 percent among participants age 71 or older.

 

Among 2,284 men with dietary vitamin C intake above the median who smoked less than a pack of cigarettes per day, vitamin E extended life-span by two years at the upper limit of the follow-up age span, the study says.

 

The researchers concluded that "if vitamin E influences the life-span, it is possible that a benefit on the oldest participants might be camouflaged by the large middle-aged majority of study participants."

 

The researchers propose it might be useful to analyze the effect of vitamin E supplementation in large trials controlled by the age of participants at the follow-up and not just by the time after randomization that has been customary.