VITAMIN E MAY REDUCE COPD RISKS IN WOMEN
US researchers, based at Cornell University and Brigham and Women's Hospital have established that vitamin E may be used a part of a COPD prevention programme for women. Anne Hermetet Agler, lead researcher and doctoral candidate with Cornell University's Division of Nutritional Sciences revealed that vitamin E "may protect the lungs against the damage that occurs to sensitive lung tissues through several proposed processes including inflammation and damage from free radicals." Apparently the strengths of this study include its randomised design, large trial size, and the face validity for the outcome assessment. The researchers stated that ‘Previous research found that higher intake of vitamin E was associated with a lower risk of COPD, but the studies were not designed to answer the question of whether increasing vitamin E intake would prevent COPD. They said that using a large, randomised controlled trial to answer this question provided stronger evidence than previous studies. Although they found that fewer women taking vitamin E developed COPD, Agler noted the supplements seemed to have no effect on asthma. Agler said that further analysis is required to explore the way vitamin E affects the lung tissue and function and cautioned that vitamin E supplements could increase the risk of congestive heart failure in cardiovascular disease patients and feels that "broader recommendations would need to balance both benefits and risks."